Lucknow, September 30: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati late Wednesday slammed the central government for not paying heed to the state’s requirement of paramilitary forces in the wake of the Ayodhya verdict Thursday.
She said that the central government would be responsible for any untoward incidents that might follow the much-awaited verdict in the long pending Ayodhya case.
Declaring this at a press conference, state Cabinet Secretary Shashank Shekhar Singh said: ” The chief minister reiterates her displeasure at the Union government’s indifference towards the state, whose repeated demand for 640 companies of paramilitary forces was completely ignored.”
“The centre has provided us just 52 companies, which speaks volumes of their real concern for the people of Uttar Pradesh,” he added.
Singh further said: “Our requirement for the desired central forces was based on what the same central government had provided us during the last general elections when they sent as many as 700 companies; sure enough the denial today was on account of considerations other than merit.”
According to him, Mayawati had taken strong exception to a statement issued by Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram in New Delhi Wednesday evening about availability of nearly 200,000 policemen in Uttar Pradesh.
“The chief minister felt that Mr.Chidambaram’s statement was apparently meant to convey the impression that 200,000-strong force was provided by the centre, when the fact remains that this was our own state police as the centre had not cared to fulfill our requirements,” Singh said.
Asked what had prompted Mayawati to issue a statement at such a late hour, Singh said: “Well, it was the Centre’s attempt to create a false impression that required immediate clarification.”
But he added: “However, we are still well prepared to meet any contingency arising on account of tomorrow’s (Thursday) verdict.”
–IANS–