Maya celebrates birthday as 'fulfillment of Kanshi Ram's wish'

New Delhi, Jan 15 (UNI) Bahujan Samaja Party supremo Mayawati today celebrated her 51rst birthday in her traditional style, justifying the grand ceremony as a fulfillment of the wishes of party founder leader and her mentor late Kanshiram, who died a few months ago.

Before cutting the 51 kg cake with blue icing depicting party symbol elephant, the BSP leader, dressed in an orange banarsi silk suit and wearing diamond jewellary, addressed party workers exhorting them to work with a new zeal to take the party message to the masses and strengthen the Bahujan Samaj Movement.

''I had no desire to celebrate my birthday this year as it is not much time since Kanshiramji passed away. But I am doing so beacuse he had directed me that I should not discontinue the event after his death and use the occasion to give a new fillip to party's programmes and policies,'' said Ms Mayawti, the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister.

She also used the occasion, to release a booklet explaining why she had not got herself registered as a Buddhist in government records so far despite having inculcated all the values and cultural ethos of the religion.

Besides, a calendar showing Kanshi Ram offering her a piece of cake on her previous birthday was also released by Ms Mayawati.

On this occasion, she profusely recalled various incidents seeking to show Kanshi Ram's ''respect and affection'' for her and the prime place she had in his life.

Ms Mayawati's father, mother, brother, nieces and other relatives besides relatives of late Kanshiram also attended the birthday function and offerred her pieces of birthday cake in the backdrop a western orchestra playing the 'happy birthday to you' tune.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi phoned the BSP leader in the morning to wish her a happy birthday. BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi was among those who visited her Humayaun Raod residence in the morning to greet her.

Party general secretary Satish Misra said MLAs and prospective candidates for the Assembly elections did not come to the capital to attend the function as Ms Maywati had expressed the desire that they should celebrate the occasion to work for the party in their respective constituencies.

Only state party chiefs and functionaries had come to attend the ceremony Ms Maywati also announced that she would hold an important meeting of party functionaries at her residence tomorrow morning.

The birthday was observed as 'Arthic Sahyog Divas'(Economic Cooperation Day).

Entry was to the venue of the function was restricted and a large number of party workers waited outside. A variety of cultural programmes was organised on the occasion. There were strict security arrangements.

UNI