Punia blasts Mayawati govt on crimes against dalits in UP

Faizabad, Jan 27 (PTI) Accusing the Mayawatigovernment of "cheating" dalits, National Commission forScheduled Castes (NCSC) Chairman P L Punia today alleged thatthe community was facing "maximum" exploitation and harassmentunder her regime.

"In spite of the fact that the UP government is headedby a dalit, 90 per cent of the complaints (of atrocitiesagainst the Dalits) are from UP,", punia told reporters here.

Punia, a former IAS officer and a Congress MP fromBarabanki (UP), had earlier worked as a principal secretary inMayawati government.

He alleged that instead of providing security todalits, the BSP government was shielding the culprits involvedin crimes against them."The commission will not keep mum to the crimesagainst Dalits and will ensure justice by taking suo motucognisance of offences against them," he said.

Punia accused the BSP government of laxity inimplementing central schemes launched for uplift of thedalits.

Criticising the state on the issue of corruption,Punia said, "Every government post is for sale here and everyappointment, government or party related, are done only afterthe demanded amount is paid." PTI Corr ANJ