2009 Poll Prospects And Alignments-2

[acharya]

<b>Our support is based on PM’s assurances: Amar Singh</b>
Arunkumar Bhatt
“We are not with UPA on price rise”
Amar Singh
MUMBAI: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s categorical assurances that the India-U.S. nuclear deal would not affect the country’s sovereignty and independent foreign policy and the U.S. would not invoke the Hyde Act made the Samajwadi Party support the UPA government on the issue, according to its general secretary Amar Singh.

Addressing journalists here on Sunday, Mr. Amar Singh said the Prime Minister had also assured his party that India’s friendly relations with Iran would continue.

“The SP will vote for the deal on July 22 on the basis of the Prime Minister’s assurances,” he said, but hinted that the relationship could deteriorate if the government went back on its assurance about Iran.

He said that after a meeting with the former President, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, his party was convinced that the deal was in the national interest. But, the SP was not with the UPA on the issue of price rise and jacking up of petroleum prices, he said.

Another objective of Mr. Singh’s meeting with the media-persons was to reply and retaliate against the party ‘bete noire,’ Ms. Mayawati. The latter has alleged that the cases against her have been revised at the behest of the SP following rapprochement between the Congress and SP. She also accuses the Union Government of having set the CBI after her. Mr. Amar Singh said that Ms. Mayawati’s statements were baseless and maintained that actually it was she who misused the police.

He showed a video clip at the press conference which he said he had shot secretly when the police had come to his residence.

On the charge by BSP chief Mayawati that cases against her had been revised at the behest of the SP following its rapprochement with the Congress, Mr. Amar Singh said her statements were baseless. He alleged that instead it was Ms. Mayawati who misused the police.

At the press conference, Mr. Amar Singh showed a video clip which he shot secretly when the police came to his residence. The clip showed a police officer, whom the SP leader identified as K.K. Dwivedi of Uttar Pradesh police, stating that the police were asked by Ms. Mayawati to have him (Mr. Amar Singh) framed. The SP leader criticised the Uttar Pradesh government and the State police for their “goof up” in the Aarushi murder case.