Bahujan Samajwadi Party chief Mayawati on Tuesday said her party has deposited money in demonetised notes into its bank accounts as per the norms, reported ANI, a day after Rs 1.5 crore in old notes was found deposited in her brother’s account. She also defended her brother and said that Anand, who earns his living by doing “a small business”, did not flout any income tax rules. “We have deposited the money collected as party funds honestly in the bank account, no wrongdoings,” said the BSP chief.

Mayawati’s retort came a day after the Enforcement Directorate reportedly found the demonetised notes in Anand’s bank account. The agency also found huge amounts of demonetised cash – around Rs 402 crore in total – deposited in the party’s banks accounts. On November 8, the Centre had denotified Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes in an attempt to crack down on black money and counterfeit currency.

The former Uttar Pradesh chief minister said the money belonged to the BSP and that the party maintained accounts of every rupee. “The BJP [Bharatiya Janata Party] is trying to tarnish the image of BSP,” said Mayawati. She also accused the BJP of “misusing the state machinery to malign” her party.

The BSP chief added that no search is being conducted into the accounts of other parties who have also deposited money after the demonetisation move was announced. “If there is even an iota of honesty left in the prime minister, he should reveal the amount of money deposited in BJP’s accounts after November 8,” she added.

Asked why she thought her party was being targeted, Mayawati said, “The BJP got scared after I revealed the motive behind an alliance between the Samajwadi Party and the Congress.” On Monday, she had said that an alliance between the Congress and the Samajwadi Party before the upcoming Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections will be made keeping in mind the advantages and disadvantages to the BJP.

Mayawati is one of the main contenders in the upcoming elections in Uttar Pradesh, which is the state with the most Assembly seats in the country. Polls will likely be held as early as February or March 2017.