CBI probing NRHM scam is 'politically motivated', feels Mayawati

Roorkee, Jan 23 (ANI): Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati on Monday charged the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probing the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) scam of working at the behest of the ruling Congress Party.

The Bahujan Samaj Party (BJP) chief accused the Congress Party of trying to malign the image of her party, and said that the former was trying to gain political mileage ahead of the assembly polls.

"In view of the assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh and in several other states, (the CBI is) working under the pressure from federal government, they are trying to cause political harm to our party and provide political benefit to the Congress party," said Mayawti, while campaigning in Uttarakhand's Roorkee District.

"The way the CBI has sped up inquiry into the NRHM at the time of elections, the same swiftness, the CBI did not show in the 2-G scam, commonwealth scam, and other big scams because in all these scams Congress Party leaders are involved," she added.

Meanwhile, the ongoing probe of NRHM scam in Uttar Pradesh took a new twist today as the Project Officer of the UP Jal Nigam, an accused in the multi-crore scam died mysteriously.

Mayawati also lashed out at the national political parties, and blamed them for wrong economic policies for spiralling inflation.

"Since the time of independence due to wrong economic policies of the Central Government, inflation has increased manifold and the brunt of which has been borne by the poor and the middle-income group people in the entire country and in Uttarakhand," she said.

Mayawati further criticized the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for displaying double standards over the issue of black money.

"The black money worth billions of rupees, belonging to the leaders from all these political parties is stashed abroad. In this context, BJP and company are not lagging far behind, who like the Congress party during their seven-year tenure did not take any strict step to bring back this black money to India," she said.

Mayawati further mockingly said the leaders of various political parties have popularised her party's election symbol, the elephant, as they mentioned it during their mass rallies to garner support from the public.

"You all know that elephant is BSP's election symbol and I do not need to say much about the elephant, as during the last 15-20 days opposition parties have themselves helped in publicising it on a large scale in the entire country," she said.

Electioneering is in full swing in Punjab, Manipur and Uttarkhand for next week's assembly polls as political parties have intensified their campaign. (ANI)