Maya wears crown, guv drops Taj
A “friendly” Raj Bhawan has rejected the CBI’s application for the prosecution of Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mayawati in the Taj Corridor case.
By TNN |
LUCKNOW: A “friendly” Raj Bhawan has rejected the CBI’s application for the prosecution of Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mayawati in the Taj Corridor case. But troubles may not be over for the chief minister as the governor’s stand that there was no evidence to prosecute Ms Mayawati goes against the Supreme Court’s view that there is sufficient material evidence against her.
That a change in the political arrangement changes attitudes towards corruption cases is evident from the Raj Bhawan response to the CBI’s request. The Centre’s rivals are sure to project it as part of a quid pro quo to ensure the support of Ms Mayawati in issues such as the presidential poll. Reacting to the development, the Congress said it saw nothing wrong in Ms Mayawati getting reprieve from the governor while also dismissing suggestions that it was a quid pro quo for the BSP support in presidential polls.
The CBI, in its application before the designated court in Lucknow submitted that the governor has not given sanction to prosecute the chief minister and cabinet minister Naseemuddin Siddiqui under different sections of the IPC. The decision of the governor, who is the deemed competent authority to sanction prosecution against a chief minister, was submitted before the designated court by the CBI on Tuesday.
The court, in its order said that in view of the absence of sanction, it has no jurisdiction to either take cognisance or to proceed further in the case against Mayawati and Siddiqui. “The governor has stated that there seems to be no prima facie case made out against Mayawati and Siddiqui in the Taj Heritage Corridor case and there is no ground to proceed further in the case against the two,” said cabinet minister SC Mishra who earlier also handled the case for the BSP as a lawyer, in the Supreme Court.
The scam in which a commercial corridor was to be built near the famous Taj Mahal monument, has long been a threat looming over Mayawati. Former UP chief minister Mulayam Singh Yadav, just before being voted out of power, had on May 9 (two days before the election results were announced) forwarded the file to governor TV Rajeswar regarding the CBI seeking sanction to prosecute Mayawati.
The CBI was earlier given a deadline till May 15 to file the governor’s sanction before the designated CBI court of special judge Rekha Dixit in Lucknow. But it failed to do so as the governor did not issue any directions.
On Tuesday, however, the CBI submitted before the court that the governor had refused to sanction prosecution as in his opinion no prima facia case was made out against the two accused.
It was a combative Mayawati who, in a hurriedly convened press conference, hours after the case came up for hearing, said that her “stand has been vindicated despite the constant onslaught against her by the opposition parties, especially BJP and even the media in the Taj Heritage Corridor case which was touted as a scam.” Mayawati targeted the BJP and said that it was the Rajnath Singh government which had first mooted the project. “Under my government only Rs 17 crore was released but still the opposition parties, especially the BJP, claimed that it was a scam of Rs 175 crore.” She said: “The BJP which was in power at the centre during that period tried to gain political benefits from me by mounting pressure on me through the case. The BJP used the CBI to target me. My relatives and my residence were raided during the probe. The governor’s opinion clearly shows that I am nowhere involved with the case. The project was of 2002 when I was not even in power.”
Cabinet Minister SC Mishra, who was with the chief minister said “the governor has sought the opinion of additional solicitor general Gopal Subramaniam, and after receiving the report and his own application of mind, directed that even prima facia no case is made out against Mayawati and Siddiqui. The designated court has also ruled that it would no longer proceed in the case against the two”. He said the sanction against the remaining accused in the case, former environment secretary RK Sharma and under secretary R Prasad was still awaited.
That a change in the political arrangement changes attitudes towards corruption cases is evident from the Raj Bhawan response to the CBI’s request. The Centre’s rivals are sure to project it as part of a quid pro quo to ensure the support of Ms Mayawati in issues such as the presidential poll. Reacting to the development, the Congress said it saw nothing wrong in Ms Mayawati getting reprieve from the governor while also dismissing suggestions that it was a quid pro quo for the BSP support in presidential polls.
The CBI, in its application before the designated court in Lucknow submitted that the governor has not given sanction to prosecute the chief minister and cabinet minister Naseemuddin Siddiqui under different sections of the IPC. The decision of the governor, who is the deemed competent authority to sanction prosecution against a chief minister, was submitted before the designated court by the CBI on Tuesday.
The court, in its order said that in view of the absence of sanction, it has no jurisdiction to either take cognisance or to proceed further in the case against Mayawati and Siddiqui. “The governor has stated that there seems to be no prima facie case made out against Mayawati and Siddiqui in the Taj Heritage Corridor case and there is no ground to proceed further in the case against the two,” said cabinet minister SC Mishra who earlier also handled the case for the BSP as a lawyer, in the Supreme Court.
The scam in which a commercial corridor was to be built near the famous Taj Mahal monument, has long been a threat looming over Mayawati. Former UP chief minister Mulayam Singh Yadav, just before being voted out of power, had on May 9 (two days before the election results were announced) forwarded the file to governor TV Rajeswar regarding the CBI seeking sanction to prosecute Mayawati.
The CBI was earlier given a deadline till May 15 to file the governor’s sanction before the designated CBI court of special judge Rekha Dixit in Lucknow. But it failed to do so as the governor did not issue any directions.
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On Tuesday, however, the CBI submitted before the court that the governor had refused to sanction prosecution as in his opinion no prima facia case was made out against the two accused.
It was a combative Mayawati who, in a hurriedly convened press conference, hours after the case came up for hearing, said that her “stand has been vindicated despite the constant onslaught against her by the opposition parties, especially BJP and even the media in the Taj Heritage Corridor case which was touted as a scam.” Mayawati targeted the BJP and said that it was the Rajnath Singh government which had first mooted the project. “Under my government only Rs 17 crore was released but still the opposition parties, especially the BJP, claimed that it was a scam of Rs 175 crore.” She said: “The BJP which was in power at the centre during that period tried to gain political benefits from me by mounting pressure on me through the case. The BJP used the CBI to target me. My relatives and my residence were raided during the probe. The governor’s opinion clearly shows that I am nowhere involved with the case. The project was of 2002 when I was not even in power.”
Cabinet Minister SC Mishra, who was with the chief minister said “the governor has sought the opinion of additional solicitor general Gopal Subramaniam, and after receiving the report and his own application of mind, directed that even prima facia no case is made out against Mayawati and Siddiqui. The designated court has also ruled that it would no longer proceed in the case against the two”. He said the sanction against the remaining accused in the case, former environment secretary RK Sharma and under secretary R Prasad was still awaited.
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