http://www.indianexpress.com/story-print/584195/
BJP booklet on Maya 'misgovernance' brings her publicity
Tarannum Manjul Posted online: Thursday , Feb 25, 2010 at 0221 hrs
Lucknow : A BJP booklet to inform the masses about BSP government's
"crimes and corruption" appears to have backfired.
In the villages where these have been distributed, the people —most of
them uneducated — consider it a work laudatory to Mayawati, thanks to
a colourful caricature of the chief minister on the cover.
The booklets, grumble BJP workers, have ended up bringing more
publicity to Mayawati and while some of them have sent back the
copies, others have distributed these only after removing the cover
page.
Titled Uttar Pradesh ki BSP sarkaar ke viruddh jannyayalay mein
chargesheet, the 32-page booklet has been printed in Lucknow and is
one of the biggest projects undertaken by the party's state unit.
The party's state office had printed around 20 lakh copies to be
distributed is every village across the state.
Costing around Rs 4 each, the "chargesheet" has a colourful cover,
showing a caricature of chief minister Mayawati wearing a crown and
riding on a blue elephant. The elephant is seen trampling common
people, indicating that state government's policies are crushing the
poor.
The booklet has charges framed under 10 heads: insult to
constitutional bodies, use of mafia for crime and intimidation,
protection of the mafia elements, siphoning of state funds, extortion
from the common man, framing innocents in fake cases, violation of
human rights by police, blackmarketing of essential commodities,
exploitation of farmers, kidnapping and exploitation of businessmen.
In January, the copies were sent to all district units. The workers
were told to distribute them among the rural folk at meetings on price
rise and inflation. But within a month, the district unit workers
began complaining to the state unit about the cover page.
A district coordinator from Sitapur said: "The booklet brings forth
information about the atrocities of the state government. But the
cover page is a major drawback, as on the first view, it looks like a
booklet for Mayawati rather than against her."
Another worker from Azamgarh said he was shocked to hear the villagers
call it "Behanji ki kitaab". "When we told them that this booklet is
by the BJP against the poor governance of the Chief Minister, they
could hardly believe it," he said. "We had to show them the back
cover, where the photograph of state president Ramapati Ram Tripathi
and the party symbol have been placed." The man literally behind the
booklet sets aside these arguments, saying it is perfect to highlight
the increasing corruption and criminalisation in the state.
The chargesheet," said BJP state president Ramapati Ram Tripathi, "has
been framed after much research and the cover is a perfect
idea".Regarding the confusion among people, he said: "We finalised the
cover ourselves as it is a wonderful caricature showing Mayawati and
her elephant crushing people. The material will remove any confusion
and people should read the chargesheet."
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