BSP President Mayawati on Saturday accused the Prime Minister and the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister of trying to "shield" senior BJP leader Lalji Tandon after the stampede that left 22 women dead during a saree distribution function but felt that Atal Bihari Vajpayee could not be held directly responsible for organising the programme.
Terming the saree distribution function as "a clear violation of model code of conduct", she said "if the function was held with the knowledge of the Prime Minister, he too could be held responsible for it."
"However, we cannot say for sure that the Prime Minister was aware of the function and hence he should not be held directly responsible for it. But Tandon cannot wash off his hands," Mayawati said.
Alleging that Vajpayee was trying to "save" Tandon, she said the Prime Minister should have removed Tandon as his chief election agent immediately after the tragedy and expelled him from the party.
"There is no doubt that the function was organised to bribe Dalit and poor women to gain their votes for the polls," Mayawati alleged.
Welcoming the Election Commission's direction to the state government to register a case of bribery against Tandon, she said "a case under section 302 (murder) and Anti- Corruption Act should have been filed against him soon after the stampede on Monday, but instead Mualaym Singh Yadav sought to defend him saying such tragedies are normal."
{{/usCountry}}Welcoming the Election Commission's direction to the state government to register a case of bribery against Tandon, she said "a case under section 302 (murder) and Anti- Corruption Act should have been filed against him soon after the stampede on Monday, but instead Mualaym Singh Yadav sought to defend him saying such tragedies are normal."
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