Playing her Dalit card with élan, Bahujan Samaj Party president Mayawati questioned Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance Government’s decision to confer Bharat Ratna on two people ofthe same caste while ignoring Kanshi Ram, a Dalit.
“The Government has decided to confer Bharat Ratna on two people, both Brahmins, but has negated our appeal to give India’s highest honour to Kanshi Ram, who sacrificed his life for the uplift of Dalits and backwards,” Mayawati told reporters here on Saturday. “The Congress-led United Progressive Alliance had ignored our demand during its regime and now the NDA has followed suite. This is discrimination against Dalits and backwards.
Both the NDA and the UPA governments have shown their apathy towards Dalits,” she said. The BSP supremo said when Kanshi Ram died on October 9, 2005, the then UPA Government did not declare national mourning on that day even when he (Kanshi Ram) was the man who gave voice to Dalits and apprised them of their rights and duties. “If Dalits are moving upwards it is because of Kanshi Ram.
He is a true jewel of the country,” she added. On December 24, the NDA Government decided to confer Bharat Ratna on former Prime Minister Atal Bihar Vajpayee and founder of Benaras Hindu University Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya. The BJP reacted sharply to Mayawati’s statement with party’s state spokesman Vijay Bahadur Pathak asking why Mayawati had not compelled the UPA Government to confer Bharat Ratna on Kanshi Ram when her party was supporting the Centre.
It was a well thought plan of Mayawati to play the Dalit card because for the first time in the last two decades, Dalits have become floating voters in polls. In the lok Sabha election, the Dalits had switched over to the BJP while in the state bye-elections, the BSP did not field candidates and the Dalits voted for Samajwadi Party. To hold on to her traditional voters, Mayawati has started strengthening her Dalit base and chose to give caste colour to Bharat Ratna.
She also castigated the Narendra Modi Government, saying the Centre was working for the benefit of a handful of industrialists and capitalists. “Promises made by the BJP during elections have fallen flat. It has failed to control inflation and bring back black money,” she said. Mayawati spoke at length about increase in cross-border firing and massacre of innocent people in Assam. She also spoke about reservations in private sectors.
“This Government talks about investments but is silent on giving reservations in private sector. Will new jobs go to upper caste onlyIJ” she asked. When asked about the government decision to change the name of Planning Commission to NITI Aayog, Mayawati said merely changing the name would not serve any purpose. “The Government should go for inclusive policies and take suggestions from people before bringing out such a massive change.
The Government has to work for the poor and frame schemes that would have positive impact on them,” she said and added: “Several pro-poor schemes implemented by the previous UPA Government have been shelved by the BJP-led Government.”