Cautioning dalits and backwards against BJP’s designs, former UP chief minister Mayawati on Thursday said its leaders will only act as a “bonded labourers of RSS” and claimed Prime Minister Narendra Modi could do little for the OBCs though he claims to belong to the community.
“BJP or RSS can make any dalit or backward as the prime minister or chief minister of any state but he cannot do any thing good for his people...he will always remain a bonded labourer of BJP or RSS,” the BSP supremo said taking on her political rivals at a meeting to pay homage to Dr Ambedkar on his 125th birth anniversary.
Her remarks came in the backdrop of BJP appointing Keshav Prasad Maurya, a backward, as the UP unit president.
“This is clearly evident in the government of Narendra Modi who moves around saying that he is an OBC...leave alone doing anything for his caste people, he has not done anything for tea sellers though he has had free tea from them,” Ms. Mayawati said.
Virtually sounding the bugle for 2017 assembly election, Ms. Mayawati targeted ruling Samajwadi Party accusing it of “failing on all fronts” and promised a society free of fear and corruption if she is voted to power.
The BSP supremo also hit out at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for “not taking cognisance” of suicides by Dalit students when his party was in power.
“Now that the Congress is out of power, the ‘yuvaraj’ (prince) is going around in states ruled by other parties and indulging in theatrics,” she said referring to Rohith Vemula suicide in Hyderabad.
Training her guns at BJP, Ms. Mayawati said Mr. Maurya has been appointed by BJP as state unit president though he has a criminal record and earlier its Chief Minister Kalyan Singh, who too belonged to backward community, could do nothing and all along toed the line of RSS on Ayodhya temple for which he had to also lose power.
Criticising Mr. Modi, she said although he spoke publicly on the issue of reservation because of “political compulsion”, it appears to be a “mere eye wash and a mischievous move”.
“Had Modi’s intentions been clean, before allying fears on any move to do away with quota, he would have taken action against his party men and RSS workers who have been issuing wrong statements on making reservation ineffective,” she said.
She warned that any move in the direction of ending reservation will have a serious impact and her party will not take it silently.
“If the need arises, I will personally lead the agitation by coming out on the streets,” she said.
She also cautioned people against possible moves to rake up Ram temple issue by igniting religious feelings before the coming elections in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Punjab.
“They might resort to this tactic after failing to lure people on sensitive issues like love jehad and Hindu rashtra among others to serve their political interests.
“The real God and messiah of dalits, backwards and other deprived people all over the country is only Babasaheb Ambedar and not in Ayodhya, Mathura or Kedarnath,” she said.
Ms. Mayawati said though a lot is being said about erecting memorials on Ambedkar, Mr. Modi has not taken action against his minister V.K. Singh “who made derogatory comments” against the followers of Ambedkar.
Published - April 14, 2016 03:21 pm IST
