Mayawati's move to sack ministers ahead of UP polls a political gimmick: Rahul Gandhi

Shahjahanpur (Uttar Pradesh), Dec 29 (ANI): A day after Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati sacked two more ministers and also dropped them as party candidates for the upcoming assembly polls, Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi today launched yet another scathing attack on the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo, and termed the whole move to be a political gimmick.

Addressing a public rally in Uttar Pradesh's Shahjahanpur District, Gandhi said: "Few days ago Mayawati sacked four ministers from her cabinet. Yesterday (December 28), she sacked two more ministers. For the last five years, these ministers have been embezzling funds. But, she decided to sack them exactly one month before the elections and later, these portfolios were handed over to the most corrupt ministers."

Continuing her efforts to refurbish her image, Mayawati had on Wednesday sacked two ministers and also dropped them as party candidates for the assembly elections. The sacked ministers: Akbar Hussain was Minister of State for Alternative Sources of Energy with independent charge, while Yashpal Singh was Minister of State for Science and Technology.

Mayawati had earlier on December 25 sacked her four ministers (Rangnath Mishra, Awadhesh Verma, Rajpal Tyagi and Hari Om). She also denied them ticket to contest the assembly elections.

Rahul Gandhi further accused Mayawati of embezzling central funds that were given for the upliftment of the state.

"These days, graft is very rampant in Uttar Pradesh. The biggest is the health scam, thousands of million of rupees belonging to the public have been stolen. How did we come to know about it? The members of the youth wing of Congress party filed an RTI (Right to Information). And the Health Minister of Uttar Pradesh is called to New Delhi again and again by sleuths. He has stolen your thousands of million of rupees," he said.

Rahul Gandhi, who has become the face of the Congress in Uttar Pradesh, is leaving no stones unturned in giving a tough to Mayawati-led BSP Government in the state.

The Uttar Pradesh elections, which are scheduled in the early part of 2012, is being seen as a stepping-stone for the Congress Party to establish a firm political base in India's fifth largest and most populous state before the 2014 general elections. (ANI)