With ties between the Bahujan Samaj Party and the Bharatiya Janata Party, Uttar Pradesh's ruling coalition partners, already frayed, a booklet released by the Mayawati government to mark the completion of its first year in office on May 3 has further annoyed the saffron party.
The booklet says Mayawati inherited a state that was in poor financial health, had bad law and order situation and acute shortage of power -- a virtual indictment of the previous BJP government headed by Rajnath Singh.
Singh, who has reservations about the BJP-BSP tie up, has criticised the government on a host of issues, including the arrest of independent legislator Raja Bhaiya under the Prevention of Terrorism Act and filing of cases against Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav.
The booklet, released by the information department, carries a picture of B R Ambedkar and the slogan Unki Disha: Prayas Hamare [Ambedkar's direction and our efforts].
But there is no picture of BJP ideologues Deen Dayal Upadhyaya and Shyama Prasad Mukherjee.
It showers praise on Mayawati for 'leading the state into prosperity by tiding over financial crisis and bringing about social equality and industrial development'.
Dalit icons such as Chhatrapati Sahuji Maharaj and Jyotirba Rao Phule find mention in the booklet.
State BJP leaders have taken exception to the exclusion of their ideologues from the booklet saying it appears as if the government was being run by the BSP only.
The depiction of Ambedkar's picture gives the impression that the government is only implementing the agenda of the BSP, the leaders said on condition of anonymity.
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