No affect to Cong from Mayawati's threat

AICC General Secretary Digvijay Singh also wondered why her disposition was "quite charitable" towards her bete noire Mulayam Singh Yadav. Mayawati had often targeted Yadav on several issues, including a charge that he had conspired to kill her a decade back.

At the same time, he also noted the Centre must look into the threat perception to her life, saying, "we are all concerned about her security".

"She is free to take a stand which she thinks appropriate," Singh told reporters when his reaction was sought to the UP Chief Minister's threat to withdraw support to the UPA government anytime after January 15.

Singh, who is in-charge of party affairs in UP, expressed surprise over her statement that the state police was not competent enough to look after her security.

Strongly denying any association of Atiq Ahmed, expelled SP MP, Singh said the whole country knows the association of Ahmed with Yadav and surprisingly Mayawati levelled the charge after SP has taken action against him.

At the AICC briefing, party spokesperson Jayanthi Natarajan dubbed as "completely baseless and contrary to facts" Mayawati's allegations and said "If Ms Mayawati fears any threat to her life, her security should be appropriately extended to protect her".

"Congress will appeal to the government and the Prime Minister to extend to Mayawati whatever security is required to keep her safe and secure against any threats to her life," Natarajan said.

Reacting to Mayawati's allegation that Congress leaders were conspiring to eliminate her, she said, "Nobody in Congress will ever be party to any illegal or unlawful act".

Meanwhile, on Mayawati's demand that SPG cover should be provided to her, Singh said under an Act of Parliament, the security is provided only to Prime Ministers and former Prime Ministers.

"She has already got NSG security cover, which is just one step lower than SPG," Singh said.

Asked about Mayawati's allegation that Congress was unfairly targeting her party over its recent electoral reverses, he said, "We are not attacking her. We are playing the role of a constructive Opposition in UP".