Mulayam Singh Yadav has cheated minorities, says Beni Prasad Verma

LUCKNOW: Showing no signs of relenting in his tirade against ruling Samajwad Party, Union minister Beni Prasad Verma today alleged the party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav has "cheated minorities" and had a tacit understanding with the BJP.

The Gonda MP alleged that there was an understanding between Mulayam and BJP leader LK Advani in 1998 due to which the SP supremo was able to form government in UP in 2003 in spite of having only 135 MLAs.

"In 1998, when Atal Behari Vajpayee's government fell by one vote, he (Mulayam) had promised to support Sonia Gandhi.

"Later in the night, he had a talk with Advani at Jaya Jaitely's residence...There Mulayam asked Advani that he will not make effort to form the government, and in return the BJP leader asked him not to support Sonia and it was decided."

Beni claimed that Advani in his book has written that he would thank Mulayam that he followed his advice and later got five years term.

"As a reward, he (Mulayam) became the Chief Minister again in 2003. He had only 135 MLAs, Vajpayee was the Prime Minister and Vishnu Kant Shastri was the Governor...Can a person having 135 MLAs could form a government in UP without the support of the ruling party," he alleged.

He alleged that Anti Defection Law existed even at that time, but MLAs were brought and the then Vidhan Sabha Speaker Kesari Nath Tripathi validated all.

"It was always Mulayam's objective that Congress should not revive in UP," he alleged.

Beni alleged that it was his political analysis that Mulayam had always cheated minorities.