BSP Chief Mayawati on Sunday claimed that Opposition parties had conspired and managed to push criminal elements into her party just before the last assembly polls that forced her to launch a drive to expel a large number of such leaders.
The UP chief minister yesterday ousted 500 party leaders and workers with criminal antecedents and also sought a second list of "criminals" still left in the party who, she said, will be expelled before May 13.
"As part of a conspiracy, Opposition parties specially SP, which dream of gaining power with the help of criminals, managed entry of such elements into BSP before the assembly election," Mayawati told reporters here.
"The party has launched a drive to oust criminal elements from the party as a result of which 500 people having criminal antecedents have been expelled from the party," she said.
Mayawati claimed that immediately after forming a majority government in the state, the BSP launched a special drive to end "Jungleraj" in the state under the previous SP regime and started a crackdown against criminals.
"SP and other political parties became wary of the crackdown as they felt all their criminal elements would be put behind bars and they would not be able to gain power in the state. They then started sending their criminal elements into the BSP as part of a well-planned conspiracy," she said.
{{/usCountry}}"SP and other political parties became wary of the crackdown as they felt all their criminal elements would be put behind bars and they would not be able to gain power in the state. They then started sending their criminal elements into the BSP as part of a well-planned conspiracy," she said.
{{/usCountry}}"When such elements gradually established their position in the BSP, they once again started 'Jungleraj' in the state," she said.
Mayawati said after the March 15 rally, some senior leaders pointed out about the criminal elements in the party.
"I took a report from my own sources and found this to be true. On April 17, I held a meeting of core leaders and directed them to expel such people by April 29," she said.
Mayawati said her directives were followed strictly and 500 people having criminal antecedents have been expelled from the party.
"Now stern action will be taken against such elements on the basis of criminal cases against them. The party leaders have been asked to prepare another list of such elements still left in the party and to expel them before May 13," she said.
To a query, Mayawati said the list of ousted people is yet to be screened but it may include some MLAs and ex-MPs.
"I don't pay attention on how influential a person is because a criminal have no caste or religion, he is merely a criminal," she said.