IndiaPost.com - India's strongest women sledge over UP

RAE BARELI: Stepping up confrontation with Sonia Gandhi, the Mayawati government decided to clamp prohibitory orders in Rae Bareli in an apparent bid to prevent the Congress president from addressing a rally in her Lok Sabha constituency.

The move by the District Administration in the Gandhi-Mayawati battle for the political turf of Uttar Pradesh came hours after the Allahabad High Court virtually stayed the state government's decision canceling the land allotment for a railway project in Gandhi's Lok Sabha constituency here.

Following the Administration decision, Gandhi cancelled her plans for the rally at Lalganj. "We have decided to impose prohibitory order under Section 144 Cr.PC," District Magistrate Santosh Srivastav told PTI.

Though the District Administration claimed there was no politics in issuing the order, a Congress leader said it was aimed at preventing Gandhi's rally in Rae Bareli. "Prohibitory orders were in place ever since October five in view of Id and Dussehra festivals and the same have now been extended in view of ensuing festivals of Deepawali and Bhaiyya Dooj till October 30", ADM (Administration) Rae Bareli BL Verma told PTI.

Dismissing suggestions that the decision to extend the prohibitory order had any connection with the proposed Congress rally, Verma asserted that it was purely an administrative decision to maintain law and order.

Verma said the party had communicated its decision canceling the rally and provided a revised programme to the District Administration. But all this did not stop Sonia Gandhi from visiting her constituency Rae Bareli. "Rae Bareli, Amethi is like my own house. I want to know how can anybody stop me from visiting my home.

If I need to go to jail, I will go," said Sonia Gandhi. The district administration of Rae Bareli even issued prohibitory orders, which meant the rally was off and Sonia had to change her plans. But she attacked Mayawati for scuttling her development plans.

"There are about 8 projects, which have been passed by the centre but Uttar Pradesh government is interfering with all of them," said Gandhi. Sonia Gandhi did stop over at the rail coach factory site.

The Mayawati government insists farmers are opposed to the project but a different kind of agitation is brewing at the site, quite contrary to the government's claims.