Pushed to the back foot over fear of losing support of the upper caste, BSP national president Mayawati on Sunday called off her party’s proposed anti-BJP and anti-Government protests scheduled for Monday.
The BSP chief said she was not expecting “justice” from the Government and would take matter to people’s court and hold mega rallies next month.
“Earlier, we were demanding the arrest of BJP leader Dayashankar Singh. We know there is a nexus between the BJP and the Samajwadi Party (SP) and this Government will not arrest the BJP leader. Instead of wasting our energy, we have decided to hold mega rallies. So, the proposed protest, which were to be held on Monday across the State stands cancelled,” Mayawati told reporters here on Sunday.
The first mega rally will be held in Agra on August 21 and the next in Azamgarh, the parliamentary constituency of SP president Mulayam Singh Yadav, on August 28.
Decision to call off protest scheduled for Monday is seen as an astute political move as the BSP was fast losing support of the upper caste after its workers used abusing language against the minor daughter of the expelled BJP leader, a Thakur by caste, who hurled choicest invectives at Mayawati during a public rally recently. Mayawati knows she cannot come to power only on the basis of Dalit votes. She needs votes of the upper caste also.
After Dayashankar Singh’s wife Swati Singh pleaded the case highlighting how her minor daughter was targeted by BSP workers, the BSP agitation lost its sheen. Mayawati immediately decided to call off the protest and announced a rally which will be called as “Sarvjan Hitay”, Sarvhjan Sukhai --- meaning welfare of all.
Mayawati declared that in her rallies she will highlight nexus between the BJP and the SP. “I will expose the BJP and the SP. I will hold the public meetings in different parts of the State to apprise people of the ‘conspiracy’ to prevent the BSP from coming to power,” she said.
Mayawati made public the blueprint of the rallies where she will try to woo Muslims by projecting the SP as an ally of the BJP.
“The FIR lodged against me in lucknow is a conspiracy. I gave statement in Parliament and this cannot be challenged in court. It is a clear case of contempt of Parliament,” she said.
She even took a jibe at UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, saying, “If he really recognises me as his Bua, he should ensure the arrest of Dayashankar and cancel FIRs filed against BSP leaders.”
The BSP chief defended party leader Nasimmuddin Siddiqui saying no BSP leader has used any derogatory word against family member of Dayashankar. Attacking Prime Minister Narendra Modi, she said though the PM shed crocodile tears over welfare of Dalits by announcing construction of memorials on the name of Dr BR Ambedkar, the Una Dalit episode has exposed the BJP.
The former UP CM criticised Modi also for announcing construction of AIIMS and revival of fertilizer unit in Gorakhpur “so late”. “If the BJP was serious about the welfare of people, these projects should have been announced soon after Government came to power,” she said.
In the evening, she held a meeting with senior party functionaries and discussed nitty-gritty of the proposed rallies. The leaders of the various committees were also asked to present their report about party activities soon.