'Elephant' giving nightmares to Rahul: Mayawati

Scaling up her war of words with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, UP chief minister Mayawati on Sunday said the party was scared of being "trampled" under the feet of the elephant, the ruling BSP's poll symbol. "The Congress is getting nervous because its mass base is shrinking. The 'yuvraj' (Rahul Gandhi) had to skip the ongoing session of Parliament and indulge in various 'natakbaazi' (theatrics) to resurrect the party in UP," she said.

During the five-day Jan Sampark Yatra, which concluded on Saturday, the Congress general secretary had said: "There is an elephant sitting in Lucknow and this elephant is eating your (people's) money. This time the people of UP have decided to throw away this elephant."

Referring to the symbols of the Congress (hand), the BJP (lotus) and the SP (cycle), she said: "Chalega haathi, udegi dhool, na rahega panja, na chalegi cycle, na rahega phool (the elephant will move on triumphantly, the hand, cycle and lotus will be swept away by the dust raised).

Addressing a Dalit-backward workers' conference at Ramabai Ambedkar maidan, she said, "Gandhi told the people if voted to power the Congress would make UP the number one state in the country. The Congress ruled UP for 40 years. Due to poverty and backwardness, there was large migration during this period. Today Rahul calls these migrants beggars. If the Congress could not make UP a developed state in its 40 years' rule, how will Rahul accomplish the task in 10 years?"

Replying to Union rural development minister Jairam Ramesh's allegation of irregularities under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Generation Scheme (MGNREGS) in UP, Mayawati said: "Under the MGNREGS, people are getting 100 days' job a year and stay unemployed for 265 days. If the BSP secures power at the Centre, I will get the law amended to pave the way for 365 days' job to the unemployed."

Maya blames Rahul for FDI in retail sector

 UP chief minister Mayawati addresses a press conference in Lucknow.In poll-bound Uttar Pradesh, chief minister Mayawati blasted Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi on Saturday over the centre's move to allow Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the retail sector. Alleging that the UPA government's decision was taken to benefit the companies of foreign friends of Gandhi, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief said her government would not allow it in the state.

"In a bid to benefit foreign companies and to make the country a slave on the lines of the East India Company, the Centre has decided to hand over the country's economy to companies like Walmart," said Mayawati at a press conference. She said the company would bring cheap goods from China to sell here and that would lead to closure of small businesses.

The CM shot off a letter on the issue to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday.

She demanded that the decision be rolled back immediately, failing which, she threatened to launch an agitation. Mayawati said the BSP would stall the functioning of the Lok Sabha if the Centre did not reverse the decision. The BSP has 20 MPs and extends outside support to the UPA government.

Evading a query on whether she would withdraw support to the UPA government, Mayawati said appropriate decision would be taken at the right moment. She said the bill had so far not been tabled in the House and only the cabinet had cleared it.

Hitting out at Gandhi, who is touring the state in the run-up to the assembly polls, Mayawati said the "Congress yuvraj" was "resorting to theatrics to bring his party to power".

She said, Gandhi was brought up and educated in a foreign country, and so his mindset was also that of a foreigner. "Whenever he comes to UP, he brings along his foreign friends on leisure trips and entertains them by taking them to the huts of poor people, making a mockery of their poverty," she alleged.

On Day 2 of UP yatra, Rahul Gandhi targets Mayawati again, says Centre's funds not reaching poor

  On Day 2 of his Uttar Pradesh yatra, Rahul Gandhi once again took on Chief Minister Mayawati. Addressing a rally in Bahraich district, he alleged that the Centre's funds were being siphoned-off in the state. "Centre's funds meant for the poor in the state are not reaching them," he said. He then added that Mayawati "does not bother about" what was happening in her state.

Targeting the UP Chief Minister and Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, Rahul Gandhi also said that they have "forgotten about the people after becoming big leaders and they don't feel for them".

"They (Mayawati and Mulayam) have become big leaders. They can travel in helicopters. But they do not feel angry now when they see sufferings. They do not feel anything when farmers' land is taken away. I have learnt many things from Mulayamji. But he does not come to you. His anger (against injustice) is over," he added.

The Congress General Secretary started his Jan Sampark Yatra from Barabanki yesterday, where he explained his controversial remark on Uttar Pradesh migrants "begging for work in other states."

At a rally in Phulpur in Uttar Pradesh a week ago, Mr Gandhi had told the thousands that had gathered that their state was regressing under the leadership of "the mafia" who runs the state. "How long will you beg in Maharashtra (for work)? How long will you work as a labourer in Punjab? It will take only five years and the change will come," he said, asking the crowd to give the Congress "a chance for five years."

The statement drew flak from almost all political quarters including Congress's ally NCP. Explaining his remarks, Mr Gandhi said yesterday, "People sat in studios and criticised me, but I will ask them to speak to the children on the traffic signals. They will tell you that they are from UP."

Emphasising that his party wanted to change Uttar Pradesh for the better, Mr Gandhi said he was angry that the state was lagging behind when other parts of the country were moving ahead at brisk pace.

"People from UP are going to Maharashtra, Haryana, Delhi. You drive a taxi in Maharashtra, you build roads and metro in Delhi...our state is now lagging behind. We have to bring it back on track," he said.

Mr Gandhi is on a five-day yatra in UP. He will next visit Shravasti, Siddharth Nagar and Kushinagar and meet party workers. (With PTI inputs)