Mayawati justifies lighting Kanshi Ram's funeral pyre

New Delhi, Oct 16 (UNI) Justifying herself as heir to the legacy of Bahujan Samaj Party founder leader late Kanshi Ram by virtue of her service to the party and also to the man, party Supremo Mayawati today said she had every right to light his funeral pyre.

Taking a swipe at Kanshi Ram's brothers, who had moved the court to claim his body last week levelling allegations against her, Ms Mayawati said a woman was also qualified to light the pyre of her parents, if she has served them and stood by them through their thick and thin.

She was speaking after seeking the blessings of Buddhist priests who had come to peform the seventh day rituals of the late Dalit leader, who died on the night of October nine at her 11, Humanayun road residence. He had been living there, estranged from his relatives, after his long hospitalisation for a brain stroke which had left him half paralysed.

His relatives had, on the other hand, accused Ms Mayawati of holding him captive to so that she could control the party.

''When Mr Kanshi Ram was confined to bed after his brain stroke, I not for a single moment gave him an opportunity to feel that he had nobody who could for care him,'' said Ms Mayawati.

''Agar ladka nalayaq nikal jaye, to ladki, jisne apne maa baap ki seva ki hai, usko pura haq hai ke woh chita mein aag lagai. (If the son does not take care of his parents and desrets them, then the daughter, who has served them has all the right to peform their last rituals), said Ms Maywati.

''I have broken the tradition and shown to the world what was just and right,'' she added.

A few hours before Kanshi Ram's cremation on October nine, his sister Swarn Kaur and brother Harbans Singh had moved the Delhi High Court seeking stay on his cremation and demanding a judicial probe into his death and post-portem or his body. The court had, however, turned down their plea, but allowed them to participate in the cremation.

Ms Myawati said, ''His brother had been misguided by some rival parties in seeking a probe and a post-mortem, a demand which the court thankfully rejected.'' Today's rituals were, however, attended by Kanshi Ram's sisters and some other relatives.

Pointing out to the fact that she had been declared by Kanshi Ram as his political successor at Lucknow in 2001, she vowed to complete his mission of securing political power to dalits.

Later, talking to reporters, she said though Kanshi Ram's last riruals were performed as per Buddhist traditions, as he had wished in his written will, he had never converted formally to Buddhism.

Replying to a question, she said she would convert to Buddhism, only when the BSP would form government at the Centre.

UNI NAZ AK BD1716