Having set her sights on next month’s Delhi Assembly elections, Bahujan Samaj Party president Mayawati has taken on both the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Aam Aadmi Party even as she reached out to Dalits and under-privileged sections.
Ms. Mayawati, who on Thursday announced that the BSP would contest all 70 Assembly seats in Delhi, slammed the BJP-led government at the Centre for misleading the people by promising them ache din (better days). “By and large the promises made to the people have not been fulfilled,” she said.
Referring to the floating bodies in the Ganga in Unnao, Ms. Mayawati demanded a CBI probe into the issue and attacked the Samajwadi Party government for its failure to uphold the rule of law in Uttar Pradesh.
She cautioned Dalits, OBCs and other deprived sections against the BJP government’s move to cosy up to industrialists. “If the BJP government continues to work on this pattern reservation for Dalits and other deprived sections will decrease,” she said.
The BSP chief accused Aam Aadmi Party convener Arvind Kejriwal of working against the interests of quota beneficiaries. “Mr. Kejriwal favours an end to reservation,” she said.
Ms. Mayawati assailed the Congress for its flip-flop on the issue. She said the people of Delhi should not be misled by the “enticements” and “hollow slogans” of these parties.
Addressing a press conference, Ms. Mayawati accused the BJP government of “pursuing the RSS agenda.” Efforts were being made to give maximum financial benefits to the rich capitalists, she said. “Dalits, backwards and religious minorities are being neglected on account of the casteist, narrow-minded and communal ideology of the government,” Ms. Mayawati said.
The BSP president took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for taking a meal of “choorha and khichrhi” at Ram Vilas Paswan’s residence, albeit without naming the Union Minister, on Makara Sankranti on Wednesday. “Like the Congress Yuvraj [Rahul Gandhi] they think by having a meal of choorha and khichrhi at the home of Dalits, they can lure them, but the Dalits will not veer towards the BJP,” Ms. Mayawati said.
Stating that Dalit icons should be honoured, the BSP chief demanded that the bungalows in London (on King Henry Road) and in Delhi (26, Alipur Road) where Babasaheb Ambedkar stayed should be declared (national) monuments or museums.
BJP govt. misleading people by promising ‘ache din’, BSP chief
BSP to contest all 70
Assembly seats
