Days where politicos were hailed with flower garlands are passé. Political parties now come from "if you got it flaunt it" school of thought. Blatant display of power and money are commonplace now.

-Jillian D'silva
March 18, 2010

Days where politicos were hailed with flower garlands are passé. Political parties now come from "if you got it flaunt it" school of thought. Blatant display of power and money are commonplace now. And it is this blatant display that has brought controversy child Mayawati under the scanner once again.

Recently, during the Bahujan Samaj Party's silver jubilee celebrations, a giant money garland, made of Rs.1,000 Indian currency notes, was presented to the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister by her supporters. The controversy, highlighted by various media channels, gained momentum when the Congress party questioned the source of the money. Meanwhile, BSP's arch rival in Uttar Pradesh - Samajwadi Party - insisted on an investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the matter.

Manish Tewari, Congress spokesperson, said in a press conference, "It's a scandalous show of money power," adding, "It's the same CM who says the State doesn't have funds to compensate the Pratapgarh stampede victims."

Opposition parties in the state also raised eyebrows over the alleged Rs. 200 crores squandered on the organisation of the BSP rally held to celebrate the party's silver jubilee, besides questioning how could the Uttar Pradesh CM could hold a rally in an area that was under curfew.

However, the heated controversy regarding the BSP's brazen show of power did not deter the party's spirit as just two days after Mayawati was gifted a money garland, which was allegedly worth 2 crores, she was presented with another one worth 18 lakhs at a press conference in Lucknow.

Justifying the generous gesture, Mayawati's close confidant and Cabinet Minister Naseemuddin Siddiqui declared, "The garland had currency notes worth only Rs 21 lakh, which were contributed by a large number of party leaders and workers. The money for the garland was collected by party functionaries in Lucknow and we arranged to have a special garland made for our leader here itself."

Accusing the Opposition of spreading all kinds of canard against the BSP, Siddiqui said, "Well, the Opposition has got the jitters after seeing the mammoth turnout at our rally, so they are bound to make wild allegations against us."

On being asked what the party would do in the wake of the Income Tax probe ordered into the garland affair, Siddiqui said the party was "not scared of any inquiry as we have not done anything wrong". Emphatically denying the Opposition charge that the rally was a "government sponsored affair" and that it entailed an expenditure of Rs. 200 crore, he said that by no stretch of imagination, could it be such a whopping figure. "Let me tell you, most of the work was undertaken by volunteers who worked without taking a penny in return to make the rally a grand success, which was what the Opposition cannot digest," Siddiqui revealed.

In the wake of the multi-crore garland controversy surrounding BSP supremo Mayawati, the party has sacked BSP spokesperson from Karnataka, Y N Sarma. The decision on Sharma has been taken for speaking to CNN-IBN regarding the cash garland. Sharma had informed CNN-IBN that the garland presented to Mayawati was made of flowers and not currency. However, following his statement the BSP has openly stated that it was made entirely with currency.

Will this needless spending of taxpayer's money ever stop? Life-size statues, money garlands... what next?? If politicians continue to feed off the country's economy, making it hollow and weak, our country will never manage to evolve from a "developing" country to a "developed" country.