Vulgar show of wealth: Cong on Maya's garlands

Congress on Thursday dubbed as 'vulgar display of money' in politics the garlanding of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati with currency notes.

"This is a vulgar display of money in politics. This is not good for any political party or a political leader," Congress spokesman Shakeel Ahmed said.

Ignoring all criticism, the Bahujan Samaj Party chief on Wednesday again got herself garlanded with currency notes said to be of the value of Rs 18 lakh.

The garland comprising notes of various denominations was put around her neck at a meeting of party leaders despite opposition outcry over her being presented a similar garland of value estimated between Rs 21 lakh and Rs 15 crore on Monday.

Ahmed said Indian tradition and political decorum do not permit such vulgar display of money and muscle power.

"She is displaying both," he said. All India Congress Committee general secretary in-charge of UP, Digvijay Singh, said she is 'no more a Dalit ki beti balki Daulat ke beti (she is not the daughter of a Dalit, but daughter of wealth)."

He said Congress does not subscribe to this brazen display of wealth and will oppose this 'terrible' corruption.

"Ask any person in UP how money has been collected. Mass collection of funds is perpetuated and institutionalised by the BSP government. I have not seen this kind of institutionalised corruption anywhere in the country," he said.

The Congress leader also alleged that Central funds are being misused and misutilised in Uttar Pradesh. "We will take the fight to the masses to expose Mayawati, who loves only wealth and not the downtrodden," he said.

Singh demanded that she should make public the property acquired in her and in her relatives' names. Another Congress spokesman Jayanthi Natarajan said authorities should probe the source of funds to prepare the garlands.