Tags: Amar Singh , Samajwadi Party , BSP , Mayawati , EC , Delhi

New Delhi, Jan 11: The Samajwadi Party today sought derecognition of Bahujan Samaj Party as a national party for allegedly "extorting money for the birthday celebrations" of party president Mayawati.

In a letter to the Election Commission, SP general secretary Amar Singh claimed that BSP workers and leaders were involved in extorting money from people for the birthday bash of their party supremo.

The money collected was converted into demand drafts of small denominations issued in the name of Mayawati "to turn black money into white money", he alleged.

"I am issuing a CD which has transcript of conversations of party leaders and functionaries which clearly shows that huge amounts collected are converted into demand drafts of smaller denominations issued in the name of Mayawati," Singh said here in the presence of SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav, while showing what he claimed as a "sting operation" CD.

He asked the Election Commission to derecognise the BSP as a national party.

Singh also wrote letters to the President and the Prime Minister demanding a CBI inquiry under the Prevention of Corruption Act into the alleged money collection drive by UP Chief Minister Mayawati.

Singh claimed the "sting operation" was carried out by a magazine reporter and the contents of it were available on a news website. He alleged that a Nand Nagri (Delhi) councillor, identified as Suresh Chandra, collected money and converted the amount into demand drafts.

Singh claimed that the conversations confirmed that money collected by the BSP office was sent in the name of Mayawati. "We also have the demand draft numbers and banks which issued it. You can get the facts cross-checked." The "sting operation" interestingly come just days before the birthday of Mayawati on January 15.

The SP leader claimed that in February, 2007, just after the birthday of the BSP president, several drafts were sent to her within a short span of 10 days. "Several people were hired to go to banks and get demand drafts prepared in the name of Mayawati," he alleged.

He said by adopting this process, the BSP leaders tried to prove that money was given to Mayawati by ordinary men as voluntary contribution.

The allegations come close on the heels of the killing of a PWD engineer in UP last month after he allegedly refused to "contribute" to the fund being raised by Mayawati supporters.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Add to del.icio.us | digg this | Stumble It