Mayawati criticises Cong, BJP for neglecting poor people

Chennai, Dec 31: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati criticised the Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party for neglecting the interests of poor, downtrodden and backward classes on Sunday.

Speaking at the Bahujan Samaj Party's 'Brotherhood Conference', here tonight, the party supremo alleged that the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance, BJP-led National Democratic Alliance and other regional parties, had meted out step-motherly treatment to economically backward sections and toiling masses.

Ms Mayawati said the poor and middle class were affected because of the increase in inflation during the tenure of the BJP and Congress. The BSP alone can meet the requirements of the people at the Centre and in states, she added.

She said the BSP, unlike other parties, had not formulated policies to suit the whims and fancies of industrialists and affluent people to capture power. The party never relied on money to contest elections and was voted to power in Uttar Pradesh for four times because of its pro-people policies and maintenance of law and order problem.

The chief minister said the Uttar Pradesh Government had introduced reservation in private sector on the lines of public sector and would implement it at Centre, if the BSP was elected to rule the destiny of the nation.

She said her government had provided reservation for backward class Muslims. The BSP would also provide reservation for upper castes people, who are poor, in all states, when her party forms government at the Centre, she added.

Ms Mayawati urged her party cadres to work for the upliftment of the society, irrespective of caste, creed, communiy and religion.

The 51-year-old party supremo, who arrived here yesterday on a two-day visit to the city, had expressed her desire to head the next government at the Centre and was confident of poaching Dalit votes of the Dravidian parties by spreading the BSP's roots in the state.

UNI