Samajwadi Party is anti-Dalit: BSP supremo Mayawati explains why
Lucknow (UP), Jan 15: As several leaders from the BJP shifted allegiance to the Samajwadi Party (SP) saying it worked for the Dalits and backward classes, BSP supremo Mayawati on Saturday pooh-poohed the claim saying the party's past record shows its "anti-Dalit" approach.
Mayawati also clarified that she would not contest the Assembly elections, but take the legislative council route, if her party is voted to power. Addressing a press conference on her birthday, she announced names of 53 BSP candidates for constituencies that would go to the polls in the first phase on February 10.
"The SP's past record shows it always took an anti-Dalit approach," Mayawati said. She sought to know why the Akhilesh Yadav-led party renamed Sant Ravidas Nagar to Bhadohi soon after assuming power in 2012. "Wasn't this due to its anti-Dalit thinking," she asked.
Citing another example, she alleged that the SP had torn a bill introduced in view of ensuring promotion of Dalits in government services. "The bill remains pending... Doesn't this reflect its anti-Dalit stand?" she said.
The
BSP
chief's
remarks
come
a
day
after
former
cabinet
minister
and
prominent
OBC
leader
Swami
Prasad
Maurya
joined
the
SP
along
with
another
rebel
minister
Dharam
Singh
Saini.
A
considerable
number
of
MLAs
from
the
BJP
and
Apna
Dal
(Sonelal)
also
joined
the
SP
alleging
that
the
Yogi
Adityanath
government
had
ignored
the
interests
of
Dalits
and
backward
classes.
They
also
levelled
similar
allegations
against
Mayawati.
With
several
such
defections,
including
a
large
number
of
MLAs
from
her
own
party,
Mayawati
stressed
on
strengthening
the
anti-defection
laws.
Of
the
19
MLAs
who
had
won
the
2017
Uttar
Pradesh
Assembly
polls
on
BSP
tickets,
13
have
quit
the
party.
"Considering
how
some
greedy
politicians
change
parties
during
elections,
it
is
necessary
to
strengthen
the
anti-defection
laws
as
such
practices
adversely
impact
democracy,"
she
said.
On her possible candidature, Mayawati said, "Efforts are being made to leave an impression that I am not going to contest. I have been a four-time Lok Sabha MP, three-time Rajya Sabha MP, and MLA and MLC on two occasions. Till the time BSP founder Kanshi Ram was fit, he handled all the election affairs and I used to contest polls. However, after his death, the party's responsibility fell on me."
Mayawati was an MLC even when she led the BSP government in the state in 2007. Laughing off the remarks that discount her party out of the race, Mayawati said the BSP will spring a surprise akin to 2007. Continuing her tirade against the SP regime from 2012-17, Mayawati said it benefitted out of Muslim votes but denied the community adequate representation in the government as well in distribution of tickets. She also alleged that communal riots were regular during the SP rule. PTI