PTI
Lucknow, Dec 26: "Where is the need for a CBI probe when the state police, on my orders, have arrested all the accused in the case," Mayawati told a crowded press conference a day after PWD engineer MK Gupta's murder.
Rejecting the demand for a CBI probe into the murder of a PWD engineer in Uttar Pradesh allegedly by a BSP MLA, Chief Minister Mayawati today strongly condemned what she claimed to be "a mischievous campaign" by the Opposition to defame her government by linking the killing to her birthday celebration.
To counter the campaign, Mayawati told reporters here that her party would observe her birthday on January 15 by organising huge rallies across the state against the Congress, BJP and SP's "wrong doings" during their rule in the State.
"Where is the need for a CBI probe when the state police, on my orders, have arrested all the accused in the case," Mayawati told a crowded press conference a day after PWD engineer M K Gupta's murder allegedly by MLA Shekhar Tiwari shook the state.
Quoting preliminary investigation reports, the BSP chief said it seemed that the prime cause of the murder was a tussle over the issuance of PWD contracts among the employees of the department.
"The charges against my party MLA will be probed. He has already been arrested and sent to jail. No other party has ever taken such stern action against their own members," she said.
In reply to questions, Mayawati acknowledged that the legislator, Tiwari, earlier belonged to the Congress party and "had a criminal past".
"When he wanted to join our party, we asked him about it. He said he was framed by the opposition parties. ... So, we told him to prove his innocence through his actions after he joined our party. We told him 'you will have to prove through your work'.
"Strict action will be taken if you are found to be doing the same things, we also told him. And we took strict action against him yesterday," she said.
Claiming that BSP had restored law and order in the state which was in shambles in the past, Mayawati said bureaucrats and engineers used to live in an atmosphere of fear when SP ruled the state. "Corruption and criminalisation of politics had become chronic then."
She said it was "criminal and highly condemnable" to link the engineer's murder to her birthday celebrations and alleged fund raising for that occasion.
Mayawati also charged the media with carrying out the opposition's campaign "without any evidence" and said "if you have proof, those can be investigated. But if not, then you should apologise."