Hitting back at the Prime Minister, who addressed a rally in Lucknow on Monday, Bahujan Samaj Party’s chief Mayawati said Mr. Modi’s speech was repetitive and lacklustre, and as “disappointing” as his address to the nation on December 31. She addded that it lacked any word of relief for people living in distress for 50 days since demonetisation.
She asked why Mr. Modi was quiet on the achievements of demonetisation even after the expiry of the 50 days he had sought from the nation. “People of the country are wondering why the PM is only engaging in hollow talk over the issue? Why are they not telling the people about the benefits they had promised them at various stages of demonetisation?,” questioned Ms. Mayawati.
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The speech did not meet the expectations of the common people, the former UP CM said.
‘Seats at rally were filled by security persons’
Ms.Mayawati said the people’s anger against demonetisation and BJP’s failure to fulfill its poll promises were at display at the venue and anticipating it, the BJP had only arranged for 40,000 seats which were scattered in order to show a larger presence.
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She termed the rally a “flop” saying despite taking all measures to fill the ground, including the use of ticket seekers to display their strength, the event turned out to be a “kursiyo wali rally,” or one where the BJP tried to fill space with chairs.
“The participation of common people was low. A big chunk of the almost 40,000 chairs were occupied by security persons,” Ms. Mayawati claimed.
She also said that the new app, BHIM launched by the Centre using a synonym of B. R. Ambedkar was an attempt by the BJP to deceive Dalits. “If PM Modi’s intention was clean, then he would have named it Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar.”