Joined BJP to protect backward castes: Kushwaha
January 4th, 2012 - 9:36 pm ICT by IANS
New Delhi, Jan 4 (IANS) Professing his innocence of any financial wrongdoing in the Uttar Pradesh rural health scam, newly-joined BJP member and backward caste leader Babu Singh Kushwaha Wednesday termed the allegations against him as a conspiracy to “snatch away” the quota rights of the backward castes.
Accusing the Congress and Bahujan Samaj Party, from which he was expelled in November, of “being hand in glove in snatching away the rights of OBCs by taking away their share of reservation”, Kushwaha said his decision to join the Bharatiya Janata Party was a well-thought-out move.
“I have joined BJP after thinking well enough. The 4.5 percent reservation of other backward castes, which has been taken away, is a conspiracy to snatch away the rights of the backward castes,” Kushwaha said Wednesday evening after a day-long drama surrounding his induction in the BJP.
“BSP and Congress are hand in glove in this conspiracy,” he said referring to the 4.5 percent reservation for minorities announced by the central government that is to be included within the 27 percent quota for Other Backward Classes (OBC).
“I am against this conspiracy and am ready to face any kind of probe. I will prove myself innocent,” he told TV channels.
“I, my family, my community, and my party BJP, will fight against this atrocity. I appeal to CBI, don’t be partisan probe, be impartial so that its trustworthiness is maintained.”
Expelled from BSP for his alleged involvement in the NRHM scam in the state, Kushwaha joined BJP Tuesday.
CBI raided the premises of Kushwaha and his associates in connection with the Rs.10,000 crore National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) scam. The raids were being conducted at 60 places in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana.
The backward caste leader, who used to be a confidant of BSP chief Mayawati, has been charged with criminal misconduct and misuse of office in implementing the NRHM scheme as the family welfare minister in the state.
He belongs to the Kushwaha community, which comprises nearly four percent of the voters in Uttar Pradesh, where assembly elections will be held Feb 4-28.
- Political war erupts as CBI raids Kushwaha's premises (Roundup) - Jan 04, 2012
- Kushwaha urges Gadkari to put his BJP membership on hold (Lead) - Jan 07, 2012
- Kushwaha hits out at Mayawati at first public rally - Jan 12, 2012
- Differences in NDA over ex-BSP man Kushwaha - Jan 04, 2012
- CBI raids on Kushwaha motivated: BJP - Jan 04, 2012
- Embarrassed over Kushwaha, BJP targets Congress, BSP (Lead) - Jan 04, 2012
- BJP takes Khurshid's quota comment to poll panel (Lead) - Jan 10, 2012
- NRHM scam: CBI raids 45 places, ex-BSP man under scanner - Jan 04, 2012
- Put my membership on hold: Kushwaha tells Gadkari - Jan 07, 2012
- BJP faces rebellion over Kushwaha's induction (Roundup) - Jan 06, 2012
- Minority quota a poll stunt: BJP - Dec 23, 2011
- BJP won't tolerate religion-based quota: Uma Bharti (Lead) - Jan 11, 2012
- NRHM scam: CBI raids 60 places, ex-BSP minister under scanner (Lead) - Jan 04, 2012
- Congress slams BJP for admitting Kushwaha (Lead) - Jan 04, 2012
- UP politics still 'caste' in stone - Feb 08, 2012
Tags: atrocity, bahujan samaj party, bharatiya janata party, bsp, caste, cbi, central government, confidant, criminal misconduct, family welfare, hand in glove, haryana, Mayawati, national rural health, national rural health mission, samaj, trustworthiness, uttar pradesh, wednesday evening, wrongdoing