Hours after Narendra Modi claimed he is a ‘fakir’, BSP supremo Mayawati reacted saying the Prime Minister is “bahut bade maldar” (very wealthy) and wondered how a “well-wisher of the affluent” can be a hermit.
“Woh dhannasetho ko sanrakshan dene wale hain, woh fakir nahi, bahut bade maldar hain (He protects affluents people. he is not a hermit. He is very wealthy),” she told newspersons here.
Earlier in the day, at BJP’s Parivartan Rally in Moradabad, Modi had said, “What can my opponents do to me? I am a fakir (hermit)...jhola ley kar chaley jayenge (I will exit with my little belongings).”
The BSP chief also attacked Mr. Modi for claiming demonetisation was aimed at ending corruption and said “90 per cent commoners” have been subjected to immense hardships because of the “dictatorial attitude” of the PM.
“BSP will oppose tooth and nail all wrong decisions of the Modi government both inside and outside Parliament,” Ms. Mayawati said.
She also alleged non-BJP-ruled states are being discriminated against in supply of new notes.
Ms. Mayawati said had the BJP government been so earnest in its desire to fight corruption, it would have appointed Lokpal in the two-and-a-half years of its power.
She alleged the Gujarat Lokayukta, when Modi was the chief minister of the state, was “rendered ineffective”.
Intentions of BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi appear to be very “non-serious”, she said, adding their claims on rooting out corruption appear to be “mere eyewash”.
On the central government amending the I-T rules, she alleged the Modi government is “tinkering with IT Act to facilitate conversion of black money into white”.
Alleging that Uttar Pradesh police is using force on people standing in queues, she said voters will rid the state of BJP in the coming elections while in the 2019 (Lok Sabha polls), they (people) will send “him back to Gujarat”.
