BSP to go to villages with booklets on derogatory remarks on Mayawati

The Bahujan Samaj Party is preparing to strongly take up the issue of the offensive remark against Ms Mayawati by expelled BJP leader Dayashankar Singh, and is apparently undeterred by the flak it is receiving for its reaction against the female family members of Mr Singh.

Ms Mayawati, it may be recalled, had said in Rajya Sabha during a debate on the issue that the people of Bahujan Samaj looked upon her as a “devi” and could not tolerate any insult to her.

The BSP, sources said, has now decided to send its dalit leaders into the rural interiors and tell the people of their community how “Manuwadi” forces continue to nurture their anti-dalit mentality and insult their leader.

Booklets containing the controversial statement by Mr Singh and the speech given by Ms Mayawati in Parliament are being printed and these will be distributed by party workers across the state so that dalits are fully apprised of the issue.

“When we launch our demonstration across the state on July 25 to protest against the delay in the arrest of the expelled BJP leader, these booklets will be up for distribution. Our workers will go from village to village and house to house to create awareness about the issue which has the power to mobilise people on dalit pride,” said a party functionary.

The BSP will also distribute audio and video recordings of Ms Mayawati’s speech and also Mr Singh’s statements, and is also toying with the idea of posting its on social media.

The BSP, interestingly, has always kept away from social media and its leaders and workers are firmly directed not to be active on the platform.

“But this is an exception because we have to reach out to the maximum number of people in the shortest time possible. Hence the party leadership has allowed the use of social media”, the functionary said.

BSP leaders feel that the issue will not only divert attention from the recent desertions from the party but also invoke the self respect of dalit voters.

The party is, apparently, not concerned about keeping the upper caste votes within its fold but will use the ‘insult to Behenji’ as a tool to consolidate the Dalit vote base instead. “Upper castes are not our core vote bank but if we have our Dalit vote base cemented, the upper castes will come to us on their own”, the leader reasoned.