Kanpur:
Union Minister Sriprakash Jaiswal sparked off a fresh controversy in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh today after saying that he saw the prospect of President's Rule in the state if the Congress did not acquire a majority in the elections in the state.
"If Congress gets majority then it will form the government...In case we don't get clear majority, we sit in the opposition and I see no alternative but governor's rule," the Union Coal Minister told reporters after casting his vote. The state witnessed the fifth phase of polling, recording a 59% turnout.
But soon after later, Mr Jaiswal retracted his statement, saying it had been "twisted" by reporters. "The reality is that we will form a government with clear majority in UP and nobody can stop it from happening," he said. He claimed that some journalists had asked him about constitutional provisions in case no party is able to form the government. "I told them what is mentioned in the Constitution. That is, in such a case President's rule is imposed," he said in his defence.
The minister's remarks on President's Rule immediately triggered a fresh political row with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) slamming the Congress for treating the state like its fiefdom. It also accused the Congress of threatening the voters.
"He is issuing a threat to the voters that if you do not vote for the Congress, we will bring President's Rule. This (UP) is not Jaiswal's fiefdom. This is a democratic country. By issuing such a threat, in a way Jaiswal has violated the model code of conduct and threatened people," BJP President Nitin Gadkari said.
The party also lodged a complaint with UP's Chief Electoral Officer who has asked the District Magistrate of Kanpur to provide a video of Mr Jaiswal's remarks.
This is the third instance of a Congress minister being accused of alleged poll violation - first it was Law Minister Salman Khurshid followed by Steel Minister Beni Prasad Verma.