Rediff.com« Back to articlePrint this article

Digvijay's allegations are baseless, hits out BSP

May 13, 2011 00:10 IST

The ruling Bahujan Samaj Party has strongly refuted All India Congress Committee general secretary Digvijay Singh's sweeping allegations about massacre of farmers by the Uttar Pradesh police in Greater Noida's Bhatta–Parsaul village, where a violent clash had ensued between cops and protesting local farmers earlier this month.

"Known for issuing irresponsible statements, Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh has once again indulged in playing cheap politics through his baseless and false allegations against the Mayawati government with a clear intent of tarnishing her image," asserted a BSP spokesperson in a statement issued in Lucknow late on Thursday night.

"It appears that other than issuing ridiculous statements to gain cheap publicity, Digvijay Singh has nothing to do," the statement said.

According to BSP, "Arson and violence in Bhatta-Parsaul were carried out by anti-social elements at the behest of certain opposition parties, who were out to vitiate the atmosphere in Uttar Pradesh."

The spokesperson felt that the situation would have been much worse if the police had not taken timely action.

He said, "The state administration got into action only after trouble was incited by opposition agents and the lives of two policemen were lost; and that was the reason the government decided to give an ex gratia of Rs 5 lakhs to their families."

He also stated that the two villagers died in the crossfire.

Uttar Pradesh's special director general of police Brij Lal also vehemently denied the charge about any kind of indiscriminate killing by the police in Bhatta-Parsaul. "The charge is just a bunch of lies," he asserted.

Sharat Pradhan in Lucknow