Lucknow, July 6 (ANI): Hours after the Supreme Court quashed a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe against her in the disproportionate assets case, former Uttar Pradesh chief minister and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati thanked her party workers for standing by her through out the long legal struggle.
" I heartily welcome the Supreme Court verdict. I also thank my party workers for their patience. They stood by me like a rock. They always sided with me," she told media here.
"My party workers derived inspiration from Baba Ambedkar's life and the struggle of late Kansi Ram and stood firm. They know that if the oppressed want to move ahead the road will be full of thorns, but they were not perturbed," she said.
"Our people had the belief that Behenji is on the same path, and that we should not get distracted and continue to support Behenji," she added.
The apex court today said it could not pass an order against Mayawati, as there wasn't enough material evidence.
Mayawati had filed a petition in May 2008, seeking quashing of the criminal proceedings against her in the case, alleging it was an act of political vendetta.
She claimed she had received the money through donations from party workers.
A bench headed by P Sathasivam had reserved its judgment on May 1 after a two-hour-long hearing during which Mayawati had accused the CBI of fixing the DA case against her.
The CBI, on the other hand, has maintained that it has ample evidence to show that Mayawati had amassed wealth, disproportionate to her known sources of income.
Questioning Mayawati's assets, the CBI had said her declared assets of Rs one crore in 2003 had gone up to Rs 50 crore in 2007.
The CBI, in its last affidavit filed on September 13, 2011, had alleged there was a criminal nexus between Mayawati and her relatives and the disproportionate assets case against her cannot be closed on the basis of conclusions arrived at by the Income Tax Department. (ANI)