New Delhi, Mar 12: The Bharatiya Janata Party today demanded Sports Minister Mani Shankar Aiyar's resignation and put the blame on the governmenLucknow, Mar 12 : A day after opposition members disrupted assembly proceedings over a CD allegedly containing objectionable references towards the characters in the epics Ramayana and Mahabharata, the Uttar Pradesh government on Wednesday recommended a CBI inquiry into the matter.

Addressing a press conference, Chief Minister Mayawati launched a counter attack on the Congress, BJP and Shiv Sena alleging that they were "behind the preparation and distribution of the CD".

"Since the name of a BSP MP is being dragged into the CD controversy, the government has decided to recommend a CBI probe into the matter," Mayawati said.

The CBI would probe the entire aspect of the case including who were the makers of the CD entitled "Teesri Azadi", when was it made and where had it been distributed, she said.

Mayawati said the state government took action when the matter came to its notice and an FIR had been lodged in this connection and three persons had been arrested.

FIR had been registered against those involved in the CD case and the TV channel, which aired it, she said.

Outrightly rejecting allegations that the BSP or any of its MP were in any way involved in the matter, Mayawati termed the allegations by the opposition against a party MP Lalmani Prasad as "borne out of frustration following the inclination of the upper caste towards the BSP."

She claimed that the CD had been manufactured and distributed in Maharashtra where Congress is in power and the BJP and Shiv Sena has a significant presence and alleged that it is thus clear that they are behind the manufacture and distribution of the CD. (ANI)t for the unceremonious exit of Indian hockey team from the upcoming Beijing Olympic.

"He (Aiyar) is the first minister who is anti-sports. He must resign," BJP Parliamentary Party leader V K Malhotra said during a discussion on the Union Budget 2008-09 in the Lok Sabha.

He lashed out at Finance Minister P Chidambaram for allocating "mere Rs three crore" in the Budget for sports-related activities.

Malhotra decried government's decision on shifting Hockey to non-priority 'B' category from being a priority game, which implied that import of hockey equipment would become costlier.

"How are we supposed to compete during the coming Commonwealth Games if this the state of affairs today?" he asked and pointed out that while a lot was being done to promote cricket, the national sport is in a pitiable condition today.

Indian hockey team had to make unceremonious exit from the Olympics after losing their pre-qualifying matches. (ANI)