Bahujan Samaj party president Mayawati, on Friday, mounted a blistering attack on the BJP, accusing it of ignoring the plight of weaker sections of society and also raking up the temple issue for elec
Bahujan Samaj party president Mayawati, on Friday, mounted a blistering attack on the BJP, accusing it of ignoring the plight of weaker sections of society and also raking up the temple issue for electoral gains.
Addressing a press conference on her 60th birthday, Ms Mayawati warned dalits to beware of the Opposition’s propaganda against her.
“The Opposition calls me a ‘daulat ki beti’ but what have they done for dalits except offering lip service These parties are resorting to tokenism by setting up a few museums to mark the 125th birth anniversary of Dr Ambedkar. If the Modi government was sincere about dalit welfare, it should have implemented reservation in promotion and reservation in the private sector for dalits which would have empowered the community in the true sense of the term,” she said.
She further said that there exists a mentality in the country which does not allow a boy or girl from a dalit family to rise in society or politics. She also alleged that the benefits of the central government schemes were not percolating down to the poor and down-trodden sections.
The BSP president also accused the BJP of raising the temple issue as elections in Uttar Pradesh draw near. “You must oppose these elements who want to communalise the atmosphere and this will be the best birthday gift you can give me,” she told the people of Bahujan Samaj.
She pointed out that after suffering reverses in the Delhi and Bihar elections, the BJP was trying to stoke communal fires by reviving he temple issue.
“I want the people to beware of such tricks and not to fall in this trap,” she said. Ms Mayawati also lashed out against the Samajwadi government in Uttar Pradesh and alleged increased harassment of dalits and backward castes under the Akhilesh regime.
She said that harassment of weaker sections was against the spirit of Lohia and added that the Samajwadi party was defying the ideology of its own ideologue.
“The Samajwadis claim to be socialists but opt for royal birthday celebrations for their leader. More than 50 districts in the state are reeling under the impact of drought but the Akhilesh government has neither the time nor the money to extend assistance to farmers. However, they can spend crores of rupees on celebrating Mulayam Singh’s birthday and the Sefai Mahotsav,” she said and added that she had always celebrated her birthday by launching welfare schemes for the poor.
Ms Mayawati said that if Dr Ram Manohar Lohia had been alive, he would have thrown Mulayam Singh out of his party for wasting public money on personal glorification.
