New Delhi, Sep 18 - Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati Friday told the Delhi High Court that the central government was delaying the income tax case pending against her.

Senior advocate Satich Chandra Mishra contended before the bench of Justices B.D. Ahmed and Valmiki Mehta that the appeal filed by the Income Tax Department against its Tribunal's order giving her a clean chit is pending for the last one and a half years as the department has taken numerous adjournments.

The court, however, posted the matter for Feb 24 after hearing the government's submission that Additional Solicitor General Parag Tripathi was not available.

The court was hearing an appeal filed by the Income Tax Department challenging the Income Tax Tribunal's decision not to tax the movable and immovable properties gifted to Mayawati by workers of her Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) during her birthday celebrations in 2004.