Lucknow, Jan 15 (IANS): The Samajwadi Party (SP) Wednesday attacked Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati and claimed her rally in the Uttar Pradesh capital was a big flop.

Talking to reporters, state Public Works Department (PWD) Minister Shivpal Singh Yadav said the sympathy shown by the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister for the people was mere eyewash.

During her five years of misrule, Mayawati had only plundered the state's coffers building large statues and memorials with looted public money, Shivpal Yadav, also the uncle of Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, said.

Alleging that the BSP was aware that its vote bank had shrunk and also fully aware that the good work of the Samajwadi Party government in the state would further erode support for the BSP, Mayawati was resorting to old tactics of invoking her Dalit lineage, the PWD minister said.

"The SP government has not only established democratic norms in the state but has also set a development agenda," Yadav said. He also ridiculed the allegations of Mayawati that criminals were having a field day in the state. Yadav said that under BSP rule between 2007-2012, several rape cases, including some in police stations, had occurred.

"Our government is committed to upholding the rule of law and officials are being given a free hand to nab criminals," he said, adding that errant officials were being taken to task.