LUCKNOW: Launching a scathing attack on Congress at election meetings in Shahjahanpur and Lakhimpur Kheri, BSP national president chief minister Mayawati said that the Congress always ignored the interests of the Dalits. She alleged that the Central Planning Commission did not release Rs 72,000 crore to be provided to various ministries, under the special component plan for the uplift of Dalits.

Maya said, the said amount was shown as being used under different head by the Central government but the fact is that the `hath' (Congress's election symbol) had devoured it. The chief minister's charge was a reply to the accusation levelled by Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi that `hathi' (BSP's election symbol) has swallowed all the grant given to the state for welfare of Dalits.

Referring to 1984 anti-Sikh riots and Bofors case, Mayawati also said that way CBI was giving clean chits to Congress leaders and those associated with it in a haste shows that Congress led UPA government had anticipated that it would not be able to return to power. She also charged UPA government with giving step-motherly treatment to UP in allocation of development funds and electricity from central sector.

Maya also charged SP and BJP with having a tacit understanding and said that only BSP could keep both the parties out of power. She said that BSP was fast emerging as an alternative to Congress in all over the country.

Terming the reports regarding decrease in ceiling land limit as totally false and baseless, Mayawati said that these rumours had been spread by the opposition parties for getting electoral mileage.