Mayawati's politics UP-centric, says Paswan

Shillong, June 4 (UNI) Lok Janshakti Party president Ram Vilas Paswan today said BSP leader Mayawati's politics was entirely confined to Uttar Pradesh though she often speaks about weaker sections.

Terming her as a ''corrupt leader'', Mr Paswan alleged that Ms Mayawati never thought of the weaker sections while in power and her slogan for dalit interests sounded totally ''UP-centric''.

Mr Paswan arrived here yesterday on a three day visit and inaugurated the Hindi Salahkar Samiti of Ministry of Steel. He made no bones about criticising Ms Mayawati, but reiterated his support for the reservation policy.

Reservation should stay for the weaker section, he said justifying that there are more weaker sections of people in the country than the general.

'' Till now there is no reservation for the dalit Christians and dalit Muslims, '' he said while stating that he would continue to fight to get reservation for them.

'' It doesn't mean that I want 90 per cent reservation since it's the constitutional right of the weaker section, '' Mr Paswan said throwing an idea of ten per cent to the weaker section.

Earlier talking to UNI here, Mr Paswan asserted that the crisis over the reservation policy had been ''solved'' and made it clear that the UPA government will not retract from its stand taken on the issue.

Mr Paswan said the stalemate triggered by agitation over the reservation policy had been solved with the doctors resuming duty.

The Union Minister, while justifying the need on reservation for uplift of weaker section, also sought to bring home the point that the students of medical colleges who had paid capitation fees were mainly involved in the two-week-long stir that severely affected the functioning of hospitals and medical colleges in several parts of the country, including the prestigious AIIMS in Delhi.

He, however, exuded confidence that the crisis had been solved since the agitators had already resumed duty following a Supreme Court verdict.

The LJP president accused the BJP of playing a''dual politics'' in the ongoing controversy over the reservation policy.

Mr Paswan made it clear that the present Congress-led UPA government at the Centre would not change its stand on the issue.

'' Nobody can change this policy and not even by a new government as the same has been passed through the Constitution, '' Mr Paswan said.

He appealed to the BJP to do away with its ''dual politics'' and make its stand clear on the issue.

Mr Paswan, once an ally of the BJP-led NDA government, termed his former partner as ''anti-SC/ST/OBC and Mandal Commission''.

'' How long they can look down upon us, '' the Union Minister stated.

He advocated for the continuation of reservation, saying, '' It should stay as long as discrimination against the minority communities in the country continues. '' UNI RRK-PRS SJC DKS PC1833