In Ghaziabad, Mayawati attacks BJP, SP for anti-Dalit policies

0
151

[google-translator]

Lashing out at the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Samajwadi Party (SP) for their alleged anti-Dalit policies, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati on Thursday said that the Dalits and people from the other backward classes suffered “stepmotherly treatment” during the regimes of the two parties.

The BSP supremo, who was addressing a rally at Kavi Nagar Ramlila Ground in Ghaziabad, also targeted Congress saying that the party was ousted from the Centre as well as from Uttar Pradesh on account of its anti-Dalit policies. “Congress never conferred the ‘Bharat Ratna’ on Dalit icon Dr BR Ambedkar, and they never declared even a single day of mourning on the demise of Dalit leader Manyavar Kanshiram (also founder of the BSP),” the former UP chief minister said.

Thursday’s was Mayawati’s second rally for the assembly elections, with the first one held in Agra on Wednesday.

At the Ghaziabad rally, BSP candidates from different seats in districts falling under the Meerut division, such as Ghaziabad, Gautam Budh Nagar, Bulandshahr and Hapur, were present. Mayawati who arrived in her chopper was accompanied by her brother Anand Kumar, party’s vice-president, and his son Akash Anand, who is national coordinator of the party.

Mayawati has started late with her campaign as only five days are left for election campaign to end for the first phase of UP assembly elections. In the first of the seven-phase elections, polling will be held on February 10 in 58 assembly constituencies spread over 11 districts of western UP, including Ghaziabad and Gautam Budh Nagar.

Firing salvos at the SP which is contesting assembly elections in alliance with the Rashtriya Lok Dal, Mayawati said that the criminal elements were in prevalence while riots marked the rule of SP regime in UP.

“The development works during the SP rule remained restricted to specific region and specific class of people. Dalits and OBCs suffered step-motherly treatment. When the SP came to power, they scrapped the SC/ST reservation in government contracts,” she said.

“During the SP regime, the SC/ST employees were demoted in a wrongful manner while the scholarships of Dalit students were also held up. The priority given to members of the SC/ST community in government land allotment was also scrapped. This is their thought process for weaker sections,” she added.

She also blamed the BJP for indulging in casteism and siding with the rich.

“In the name of religion, they have created environment of hatred. Even the incidents of crimes have increased and Dalit women have suffered. During the BJP government, Dalits and backwards have not been able to get full benefit of reservation as the government has given most of the works to the private sector where there is no provision of job reservation,” she said.

“Muslims and other religious minorities have faced discrimination, and this time even the upper caste is feeling neglected. We will set up a commission to inquire into demands for protesting employees from different departments, especially the education department, if we come to the power,” Mayawati said.

In the 2017 assembly elections, the BSP contested all the 403 seats in UP but could win only 19. However, it amassed 22.23% of the vote share, which was the second highest after the BJP’s vote share of 39.67%.

The BJP said that the conducting an election rally for 28 assembly seats from one venue shows that the BSP is left with no star campaigners.

“The BSP leader knows that her vote bank is siding with the BJP and that people are happy with the policies of Prime Minister Modi. In this election, all the sections, including the Dalits and OBCs, will vote for the BJP,” said Sanjeev Sharma, BJP’s city president.

Rashid Malik, district president of the SP, said that the BSP has lost base among voters and also its traditional vote bank.

“The voters from different sections of the society, including Dalits and OBCs, are with the SP in this election. The state will surely see a government formed by SP after March 10 results. The BSP chief knows that she has lost the base and levelling allegations on others,” Malik said.

The Congress leaders said it is time that Mayawati stops taking up politics in names of Dalits.

“If she talks about welfare of Dalits, she should also stand by them in time of need. I would like to ask where was she when daughters in Hathras and Unnao needed help. Congress is the only party which thinks about every class and every section of society,” said Dolly Sharma, member of All India Congress Committee and spokesperson for UP Congress.

Political observers said that the BSP’s traditional vote bank was in a dilemma this election due to late start of party’s campaign.

“Through her speech, Mayawati has tried to consolidate her vote bank and tried to have a firm grip on Dalits, OBCs and voters of other minorities. She knows that this vote bank alone can swing results on many seats. However, the delayed start of election campaign has raised questions whether she is really interested to contest with full strength,” said KK Sharma, associate professor (history) at MM College, Modinagar.


Source link

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here