BSP a disciplined party: Mayawati slams BJP, Congress on her 64th birthday

Lucknow, Jan 15: Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati on Wednesday said that her party is a disciplined party and does not believe in violent protest. Her remarks comes days after the BSP skipped an Opposition meeting to take on government on the Citizenship (Amendment) Act or CAA called by Congress president Sonia Gandhi.

Speaking to reporters at the BSP office here on her 64th birthday, she said BSP is a disciplined and cadre-based party and only stages peaceful protests after taking permission.

"BSP does not believe in organising violent protest. It's a disciplined party and follows democratic process to oppose anti-people policies of government," Mayawati said while addressing a press conference on her 64th birthday in Lucknow.

The Congress had convened a meeting of the Opposition parties on Monday to discuss contentious issues, particularly the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and and the economic slowdown. The Bahujan Samaj Party boycotted the meeting, claiming the Congress was poaching its legislators in Rajasthan.

Mayawati had said that if her party joins the meeting called by the Congress, it will hurt the morale of the party supporters in Rajasthan.

She attacked the BJP-led central government also. "Today due to wrong policies of central government Congress had managed to be in limelight. BSP considers BJP and Congress as two sides of the same coin. It is maintaing equal distance from both the parties."

Accusing the BJP of not listening to people of the country, Mayawati warned that its fortunes will be worse that Congress. "Today the people are facing several challenges. The economic slowdown has made their life miserable. It's due to wrong policies of the NDA government," said Mayawati.

"People brought BJP to power but BJP government is moving on path of Congress. If BJP continues to follow the same policy, its condition will become worse than Congress," she added.