Lucknow, Nov 15 (IANS) Congress parliamentarian P.L.Punia Sunday charged Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati with misusing her official position to set up probe against him and aid it was a “political vendetta” because his shift from bureaucracy to politics was not “palatable” to her.
A former Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer, Punia was principal secretary to Mayawati during her two previous stints as the chief minister.

Addressing a press conference with state Congress president Rita Bahuguna Joshi, Punia termed as an act of “political vendetta” the Mayawati government’s decision to institute an Economic Offences Wing (EOW) probe against him.

Charging Mayawati of not being able to digest the victory of a Dalit from the Congress party, Joshi said: “Mayawati was trying to settle personal scores with Punia.”

The probe against Punia relates to his term as managing director of Pradeshiya Industrial and Investment Corporation of UP (PICUP) in 1989-1991 when certain loans were allegedly given away to some fictitious persons. A probe into the case was closed long ago while Punia was in a position of power.

Mayawati has asked EOW to re-open the case and start investigation afresh.

“The EOW has already probed the matter twice and his (Punia’s) name does not figure in either the FIR or the charge sheet. This reflects the pettiness of the Mayawati government,” Joshi said.

Punia said that while he had nothing against the inquiry being re-opened in the matter, he wanted the probe to be conducted by an independent central agency. “I have nothing to fear but the EOW works under the chief minister and I have no faith in it.”

According to him, Mayawati was upset as “Dalits had started expressing their anger against her government and in the recent by-election in Firozabad they had voted for the Congress”.