The ruling Samajwadi Party flayed the BJP and the Congress for including tainted people like riot accused and hate speech mongers in their state executive which protrayed their desperation
ahead of the 2017 Assembly polls.
An accused in 2013 Muzaffarnagar communal riots and BJP MlA Suresh Rana and hate speech monger and Congress leader Imran Masood have been included in the state outfits as vice-president and senior vice-president resectively by their party brass on Tuesday.
Rana is one of the 15 vice-presidents appointed by the BJP and was booked under the NSA for allegedly inciting a mob during Muzaffarnagar riots and jailed. Imran Masood, now a senior vice-president, courted controversy ahead of 2014 lok Sabha polls after spewing a hate speech against PM candidate Narendra Modi and said that he "will chop Modi into pieces".
Reacting on the questionable appointments, SP spokesman Rajendra Chaudhary said, "It's a conspiracy to vitiate the atmosphere in UP. But people know the reality and will give a befitting reply. It shows the growing desperation in teh two parties ahead of the Assembly polls," he said.
"Transparency is a must in politics and office bearers should be of clean image. If political parties do such things, what will be their fate IJ" questioned Chaudhary.
Meanwhile, senior SP leader and PWD minister Shivpal Yadav dismissed Raj Babbar as a `spent force’ saying, "The Congress can never revive its poll fortunes drafting leaders like Raj Babbar, who have lost their relevance in politics.’’
On its part, the BJP had said it has become clear that the party would continue to work as the 'B' team of Samajwadi Party in UP.
Babbar had contested the 2004 lok Sabha election from lucknow on an SP ticket against former PP Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Born in Tundla near Agra, Babbar (64) is an OBC member and has been elected thrice to lok Sabha. Presently he is a Rajya Sabha member from Uttarakhand. He joined the SP in 1993 and was elected to Rajya Sabha in 1994. He was however suspended from the SP due to his differences with compatriot Amar Singh. In 2009, Bbabbar created history by defeating the CM's wife Dimple Yadav in a byelection in Ferozabad lok Sabha seat.