Cleric backs BSP; Mamata for PM if Third Front is voted to

Maulana Tauqeer Raza Khan, the chief cleric of Barelvi Sunni sect, today announced his decision to "support " Bahujan Samaj Party in coming parliamentary elections and attacked Samajwadi Party's "callous" attitude towards Muzafffarnagar riot victims.
The Maulana also made it clear that if a Third Front comes to power, then he would support Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Bannerji to be the country's Prime Minister "since she has the ability to garner support from all sections of the people".
The Maulana, who enjoys considerable following, made it clear there are " no strings attached " to this decision and said he had taken the decision to "preserve the secular ethos of the country".

Addressing mediapersons here, the cleric, who was considered very close to Samajwadi Supermo Mulayam Singh Yadav till recently, said "I was deeply affected by Samajwadi Party's callous attitude towards the victims of Muzaffarnagar riot victims".
The Maulana said "it is one thing to fail to control riots but it is worse to be indifferent to human suffering".
He said he had made up his mind "after watching the celebrations in Saifai even while the riot victims were suffering in relief camps. How is this different from Modi's indifference to human suffering"? the Maulana said.
In reply to a question whether his support was "unconditional" and "whether he has got any assurance from the BSP supermo that she would not join hands with BJP after the polls, the Maulana said "my desision is unconditional but if Mayawati makes the mistake of supporting Narendra Modi then she will have to bear the consequences in the assembly polls.