WikiLeaks founder Assange should be sent to mental asylum: Mayawati

TNN

Lucknow, 06 September 2011: Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mayawati on Tuesday rubbished the allegations made against her by the whistleblower website WikiLeaks that she had sent a special jet to Mumbai to bring in her favourite sandals.

 

Calling it a political conspiracy ahead of elections, the BSP chief said WikiLeaks owner has either gone mad or supporting her opponents.

 

While addressing a press conference, Mayawati also offered to accommodate Assange in Agra’s mental asylum. "These reports are baselesss," Mayawati told reporters here.

 

US embassy cables from 2007 to 2009 released by the WikiLeaks website in recent days described Mayawati, 55, as "a first-rate egomaniac" who "is obsessed with becoming prime minister".

 

They said Mayawati celebrated her birthday each year by receiving millions of dollars in gifts from "sycophantic party members, civil servants and business people" while officials vie for a chance to feed her cake.

 

"When she needed new sandals, her private jet flew empty to Mumbai to retrieve her preferred brand," a cable dated October 23, 2008 reported, adding she employed food tasters to guard against poisoning.

 

The whistleblower website on Tuesday said that Mayawati’s right hand man Satish Chandra Mishra has told the US that the CM has a "penchant for corruption".

 

However, the BSP general secretary rubbished these reports and called it completely baseless. "Reports on WikiLeaks cables are absolutely false. There is no truth in the controversy. I did not meet an US dignitary in 2007. I will file a legal notice and pursue the case till it comes to a logical end," Mishra said.

 

"This is a conspiracy as elections are around the corner," added Mishra. According to a secret US embassy cable, the BSP general secretary and Rajya Sabha MP also told US embassy officials that the chief minister has a "strong authoritarian streak".

 

The cable added that Mishra is "fluent in English and serves as the principal interlocutor between the US Embassy and the BSP. He has graciously hosted Embassy officers at his house".

 

The cable added, "Mishra has been forthright and frank in his discussions, even to the point of acknowledging Mayawati’s penchant for personal corruption and her strong authoritarian streak."

 

It says, "Mayawati has very weak English language skills and limited exposure to non-Indians and may not be entirely comfortable interacting with Americans. To date, she has preferred to use Mishra in this role, although a future meeting, probably between Mayawati and the Ambassador (with Mishra likely acting as translator) cannot be ruled out."

 

This cable was dated May 29, 2007 - 16 days after Mayawati took oath as chief minister on May 13, 2007.