New Delhi:
As speculations of a deal between Mulayam Singh Yadav and the Centre over withdrawal of investigation in the disproportionate assets case ahead of the food bill vote become stronger, the petitioner in the case has said he will challenge the Supreme Court order which let off Mr Yadav's daughter-in-law Dimple Yadav from the probe.
The Supreme Court in December last year, while upholding the probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) against Mr Yadav and his son Akhilesh, had ruled that no probe against Ms Yadav would continue since she did not hold an office of profit when the inquiry started in 2007.
Ms Yadav, wife of Uttar Pradesh Chief Miniser Akhilesh Yadav, is a Samajwadi Party (SP) Member of Parliament from Kannauj.
"When the judgement came on Dec 13, 2012, Dimple Yadav was given a clean chit. This is a judgement error and I will challenge this in court. I was asked not to oppose Mulayam Singh till the food security bill is passed in Parliament. I have been a victim of blackmailing for the last ten years," petitioner Vishwanath Chaturvedi told NDTV.
Mr Chaturvedi has also alleged that the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government is pressuring the CBI to drop the case against the Yadavs in exchange for the Samajwadi Party's support for the food security bill, supposed to be tabled before the Parliament in its Monsoon Session beginning August 5.
The Congress denies the allegation. Party leader Meem Afzal told NDTV, "Mulayam refused to support the food bill calling it anti-farmer. We have said we will try to convince him, and that he may come around on the issue. There was never a question of using the assets case to put pressure on Mulayam Singh Yadav."