The Hindu : New Delhi News : Mayawati promises quota for poor of all castes

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Mayawati promises quota for poor of all castes

Staff Reporter

‘Both the Congress and the BJP have taken money from capitalists and are working for them’

Photo: V. Sudershan

Jumbo power: Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati along with party candidates for the Delhi Assembly elections during a rally at Trilokpuri on Sunday.

NEW DELHI: Bahujan Samaj Party leader and U.P. Chief Minister Mayawati on Sunday began her campaign for the Delhi Assembly elections by accusing both the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party of taking money from capitalists and working for them and urged the people to install the BSP in power instead as the party wants to provide reservation for the poor and also stands for implementing schemes for them.

Though she reached the rally ground in Trilokpuri in East Delhi over two and a half hours late, the interest of the people only grew in the intervening period and by the time she arrived the area was packed to capacity. The songs based on Hindi film tunes being played over the speakers, such as “Behna ko PM banana hai”, kept the people busy as numerous blue flags with the elephant on it fluttered across the venue.

Staying very focussed during her speech, Ms. Mayawati did not even refer to the Samajwadi Party and only declared that “the BSP is against the BJP, the Congress and its allies”.

Pointing out that BSP had no electoral alliance, she said: “We are going all alone as we understand that the situation is bad for the poor and the unemployed”. Seeking to shed the casteist image of the party, she said problems also abound for the poor in the upper castes, the small and medium farmers and small traders.

“The parties at the Centre and the States have been coming to power with the help of the capitalists. They have taken money from the capitalists and will work for them. On the other hand we have come to power on the basis of the work of our workers and so we want you to vote for us as we are committed to your development,” she told the largely lower income group crowd in plain terms.

Referring to the development works undertaken by the BSP in U.P., Ms Mayawati said both rural and urban development schemes there have been bearing fruit and there was no discrimination in the State. She also appealed to the voters to vote for the BSP saying: “We are in favour of giving reservation to the poor. When we would have a government at the Centre, we will implement this plan.”

Realising full well that people in Delhi were also suffering due to deteriorating law and order, she charged that “despite Delhi falling in the jurisdiction of the Congress Government in the State and the Centre,” the party has been unable to tackle the situation. “If the BSP comes to power, criminals will be in jails and not outside,” she said to a loud applause from the gathering. Even in U.P., she said, “crime and especially crime against women has reduced.” On the social front, she said, two-bedroom flats were being constructed for the homeless in U.P. and the standard of living of even the villagers has improved significantly.

The BSP, she said, has always kept its word and there was no difference in what it said and did. “All the problems pertaining to roads, water, electricity and the like would be solved here as well,” she said, cautioning people not to get swayed away by rumours or lucrative offers, ahead of the elections. Baba Bhimrao Ambedkar she said, had once warned: “Do not sell your votes, it is like selling your daughters and daughters-in-law.”

Clarifying the party’s “sarvjan hitayat” slogan, Ms. Mayawati also noted that her party – that is contesting all the 70 Assembly seats in Delhi – has given tickets to people belonging to all castes, regions and religions. “We are for all, we are for equity,” she declared.

The tone for her speech was earlier set by BSP national general secretary Satish Kumar Mishra who said a wrong impression has been generated that this was a casteist party.

“We are not discriminating against the upper castes, we are also for them,” said Mr. Mishra, adding that this is best exemplified by the fact that he being a Brahmin has been made a general secretary of the party by Ms. Mayawati.

Mr. Mishra said the BSP would provide all the facilities and reservation to the poor from all the castes. “We had written for this to the other Governments in the past but they did not pay any attention. On coming to power, we will provide this reservation.”

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