IT officials to probe Mayawati's cash garland

New Delhi, Mar.16 : Income tax officials have reportedly been ordered to investigate the source from which the cash garland that was presented to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati on Monday materialized.

The probe was ordered after proceedings in Parliament were suspended on Tuesday over the issue.

The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) was put on the mat for the multi-crore money garland given to Mayawati with the Samajwadi Party, the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) questioning such extravagance in the Lok Sabha.

The continuous uproar led to the house being adjourned for the day. The Lok Sabha will now meet April 12, after a three-week break.

Debate on the National Green Tribunal Bill, 2009, which was moved by Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh, on Monday, could not take place as a result.

Meanwhile, BSP lawmakers strongly defended their leader, even as other lawmakers demanded an investigation.

Critics alleged that the cash garland was just a small part of the extravagant Rs.200 crore celebrations Monday to mark 25 years of the BSP and party founder Kanshi Ram's birth anniversary.

The garland made of thousands of Rs.1, 000 denomination currency notes was presented to Mayawati at the rally in Lucknow Monday.

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