Congress, SP smell saffron hand behind Akash Anand's removal as political heir by Mayawati

The Samajwadi Party (SP) and Congress said on Wednesday that Akash Anand's removal has 'proved' their allegations that Mayawati had a 'tacit understanding' with the BJP.

Lucknow: BSP supremo Mayawati might have said that she removed her nephew Akash Anand as her political heir and the party's national coordinator as he was not ''fully matured'', but her rivals suspected the hands of the BJP behind her sudden unceremonious ouster within months of appointment.

The Samajwadi Party (SP) and Congress, who had an alliance in Uttar Pradesh in the ongoing Lok Sabha polls, said on Wednesday that Akash Anand's removal has "proved" their allegations that Mayawati had a ''tacit understanding'' with the BJP.

''We had been saying that Mayawati and BJP had an undeclared alliance in the state and Akash Anand's ouster has proved it... people are watching everything,'' senior SP leader Fakhrul Hasan said.

''Akash Anand had been attacking the BJP... BJP was perturbed by his recurring attacks at the election rallies and found it difficult to reply to his charges... Mayawati, by sacking Akash, has proved that she is hand in glove with the saffron party,'' he added.

''Mayawati will have to come clean on this (Akash's removal)... Was this decision taken under pressure from the BJP?'' a senior UP Congress leader here asked.

''If Akash Anand was immature then why did Mayawati declare him as her political heir and appoint him as the national coordinator of the party in the first place. Mayawati should stop playing games and openly declare her tacit alliance with the BJP,'' the leader said.

UP BJP spokesman Rakesh Tripathi, however, rubbished the charges of the SP and Congress and said that BSP was a ''private limited company'' of Mayawati. ''The people of the state were angry over the way Akash Anand attacked the BJP in his election meetings. Mayawati must have realised it and removed him,'' Tripathi said.

Akash had recently been booked after he compared the BJP with the Talibans at an election meeting in Sitapur district. He had also said that the saffron party leaders should be hit with shoes.

Mayawati announced her decision to sack Akash in a post on 'X' (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday. ''It is well known that besides being a party, the BSP is also a movement for social change and self-pride and dignity of B.R.Ambedkar for which Kanshiram (BSP founder) and myself have dedicated our lives... we are also preparing the new generation to speed up this process,'' she said in her post.

''Keeping this in mind, I had declared Akash Anand as the party's national coordinator and my political heir.....he is being relieved of both these responsibilities in the larger interest of the movement till he becomes fully matured,'' the BSP supremo said.