Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati said on Sunday that she would quit Hinduism and convert to Buddhism, along with her followers, if the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and the Bharatiya Janata Party did not stop their ‘atrocities’ on Dalits and backward castes and end exploitation of these communities.
Invokes Ambedkar
Addressing a BSP conclave, hardly a kilometre from the RSS headquarters in Nagpur, the BSP chief said, “Dr. Ambedkar had made an announcement in 1935 that he was born a Hindu but he won’t die a Hindu. He gave 21 years to Hindu religious leaders to reform. But when there was no change in their attitude, he converted to Buddhism in 1956 in Nagpur. We thought the contractors and custodians of the Hindu religion would change after his conversion and give respect to the Dalit and backward caste communities. But they continue to exploit the backward communities and the Dalits. Today, I want to warn the BJP and the RSS that if they don’t change their disrespectful, casteist and communal behaviour towards the Dalits and backward caste people and their leaders, I will also convert to Buddhism with my crores of followers.”
Ms. Mayawati said she wanted to give a chance to the RSS-BJP to reform and change their mindset towards the Dalits and backward communities and then take a call on conversion to Buddhism “at an appropriate time like Ambedkar.”
She also alerted the BSP workers to the possibility of an early Lok Sabha election and asked them to start preparing for it.
“There is a possibility that the BJP can start the construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya just before Lok Sabha elections.
“They can even sponsor some dramatic events in the name of patriotism to save their government and hide their failures. Be aware of such conspiracies.
“The Electronic Voting Machines were tampered with in every election since 2014 to defeat the BSP,” she alleged and dared the BJP to contest all upcoming elections on ballot paper.
The BSP supremo also claimed that the Mandal commission report was implemented because of her party’s efforts.
“The backward communities got reservation and other benefits only because of Ambedkar’s efforts and not because of the Congress, Nehru or BJP and company.
“Now, all these parties are trying to end reservation which is why they are denying it in the private sector and outsourcing most of the works. Reservation in job promotions has been rendered ineffective,” she said.
“They [BJP] are talking of ‘Opposition-free India’ and are misusing Central agencies like the CBI, Income Tax department, the ED and State governments’ machinery to weaken Opposition parties,” she charged.
