BSP supremo Mayawati led the Opposition charge in the Rajya Sabha on Monday, saying incidents of intolerance were on the rise in the country even as she chose the occasion to announce her unequivocal
BSP supremo Mayawati led the Opposition charge in the Rajya Sabha on Monday, saying incidents of intolerance were on the rise in the country even as she chose the occasion to announce her unequivocal support to the GST bill, which is stuck in the Rajya Sabha.
While she accused the NDA government of unleashing the CBI against her in the NHRM scam ahead of the 2017 Assembly polls in UP, she simultaneously pledged support for the GST bill saying, “If your government is fully confident that bringing the GST bill is in the interest of the nation, it will bring a change in the economy and give a boost to it, the BSP will definitely back it. Our party supports the bill in Parliament,” she said.
With the UP Assembly polls round the corner, Ms Mayawati challenged her opponents to try and malign her image saying they will meet the same fate as 2007 when she formed the government in the state with thumping majority.
In an apparent dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for inviting Congress president Sonia Gandhi and former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh over tea to discuss the GST issue, she said, “You will not need to offer even a cup of tea or a glass of water (to me) for this,” evoking laughter in the House.
She said her party will back the government on measures it takes for the development of the nation and the welfare of all sections.
Raising questions over the government’s commitment to the Constitution, members of BSP, NCP, Congress and other parties sought to corner the government during the debate on “Commitment to the Constitution” in the Upper House over alleged incidents of intolerance on the basis of religion, caste or creed, and its reaction in the society, as witnessed in the return of awards by intellectuals, writers and artistes.
Ms Mayawati said various incidents, including the Dadri killing, repeatedly raised questions over the government’s commitment to the Constitution.
She debunked Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s reply to the debate in the Lok Sabha and dared him to take action against his own ministerial and party colleagues, who she alleged were making “provocative” remarks.
“People from the BJP and affiliated Hindu organisations keep on making controversial undignified remarks. But Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is the head of the government, keeps silent,” Ms Mayawati said.
Ms Mayawati also demanded action against minister V.K. Singh for his remarks on the killing of dalit children in Haryana.
The BSP chief pushed for reservation for dalits and tribals in promotions in the government and the private sector and favoured quota for economically-backward sections.
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi said a lot in his concluding remarks during the debate on Constitution (in Lok Sabha) on Friday. It would have been better if he had announced some decision to amend the Constitution for reservation to the weaker sections of the society in private sector and reservation for ST/SCs in promotion,” she said.
Mayawati said people from SCs/STs and OBCs, who have converted due to various reasons, should also get the benefits of reservations.
Referring to the statement of RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat about a “review” of the reservation, she threatened to take to streets. She dismissed pro-reservation statements of the BJP as an afterthought in the wake of debacle in Bihar assembly polls.
“I am warning if there is any such attempt from the government, I will take to streets against it and hold a massive agitation against it. I will not allow any such attempt to succeed,” Mayawati said, alleging a “conspiracy” behind such remarks.
Praful Patel (NCP) said the administration cannot remain quiet saying these were “stray incidents” and added that individual views will be reflected as government’s views if these were not contradicted properly.
Citing Ambedkar’s past speeches, Patel said “it is wrong for majority to deny minorities their rights” as all should be treated equally and it is “wrong on the part of ministers to perpetuate themselves”.
Ashwani Kumar (Congress) said there was ‘intolerance and anarchy’ in the country as the “basic tenets of Constitution are challenged today’. “We have different kind of anarchy...And it is increasing. You are creating an atmosphere where nobody has courage to express their views. Self respect is at stake. Don’t take away the rights from people.”
Without naming Aamir Khan whose remarks on intolerance have led to a controversy, the BSP chief said she holds the government more responsible for the row than the actor.
K T S Tulsi (Nominated) expressed surprise that the Home Minister was not outraged by intolerance but by secularism. “Indian Muslims have not been against the country. A few aberrations cannot be taken as an act of disloyalty. The Indian Muslim has not come from anywhere and have lived here for centuries and have no place to go anywhere. I am pained ... When some ministers or Chief Ministers say India is made for Hindus,” he said.
Tulsi said a few incidents did create a sense of fear among sensitive artistes and they expressed their dissent in the form of returning the awards.
