Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Uttar Pradesh government over the laying of foundation stone of Dr Ambedkar Memorial and Cultural Centre in Lucknow, saying it was a “drama” before the 2022 Assembly polls. She said the BSP was not against the memorial but against the political interest behind it.

In a series of tweets on Tuesday, Mayawati alleged that exploitation of the followers of Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar and neglect of crores of his followers was the only work of this government.

“After neglecting and harassing Babasaheb Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar and his crores of exploited victim followers for almost the entire time in power, now when the assembly elections are near, the BJP government in UP will lay the foundation stone of 'Cultural Centre' in the name of Baba Saheb. If all this is not drama, then what is?” she said in her tweet.

Mayawati said the BSP was not against setting up of any centre in the name of Ambedkar but doing so for the sake of electoral interest was a gross deception.

The BSP chief also alleged that the BJP along with Samajwadi Party and Congress were all involved in atrocities against Dalits and backwards.

“By the way, in the case of such deceit and drama, whether it is the government of BJP or SP or Congress etc., no one is less than anyone, but in the case of killing the rights of Dalits and backwards etc. and injustice and -atrocities on them, they are the same. This is well known and it is very sad,” she added.