Reiterating that her party’s friendship with Samajwadi Party was in national interest and not to meet any selfish goal, Bahujan Samaj Party president Mayawati fired a fresh salvo at Prime Minister Narendra Modi alleging that he was referring to Dr BR Ambedkar to reap political harvest.
Mayawati said the entire Bharatiya Janata Party was in discomfort over the BSP-SP closeness.
Addressing media persons in lucknow on Monday, Mayawati said that Dr Ambedkar’s name in Prime Minister’s ‘Mann Ki Baat’ programme was a drama to garner votes of the Dalits.
“The BJP and its government have done enough drama for Dalits and backwards but the people have now read through their game plan. Dr Ambedkar’s personality was humanitarian and impartial which cannot be a reality in BJP and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) rule. They are against the Constitution, caste and community. In BJP rule, Dalits and backwards are lagging behind in all sectors,” Mayawati said.
Hitting out at Modi, Mayawati said ,”It is now evident that the so-called National Democratic Alliance is on the verge of dissolution as the alliance partners are abandoning the BJP. These parties are leaving NDA just to avoid the anger of the people.”
However, in a shift from her stance against electronic voting machines (EVMs), the BSP chief claimed that attachment of VVPAT (voter verified paper audit trail) with EVMs would not allow the BJP to tamper with the machines in the coming lok Sabha polls and hence they were now trying other ways to influence voters.
Speaking on the decision of alliance with SP, Mayawati said that it was for the welfare of all and had been welcomed by the people across the country.
She said opposition parties, including BSP and SP, had to stop the BJP from coming power at the Centre in 2019.
“The poor, workers and farmers have seen the real face of the BJP and now they are not going to fall in the trap of achhe din once again. Non-BJP parties should come together to address the problems suffered by the masses because of the wrong policies of the BJP-led Central and state governments, Mayawati stressed.
Refusing to relent after the debacle in Rajya Sabha polls, Mayawati said that though her party would not contest bypolls in Uttar Pradesh, it would continue to go for tactical support to defeat BJP candidates like it did in Gorakhpur and Phulpur lok Sabha bypolls.
UP is set to witness bypolls to Kairana lok Sabha and Noorpur Assembly seats, earlier held by the BJP.
Earlier, at a meeting of party leaders and cadre in lucknow on Monday, Mayawati said, “The people of UP, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and even Gujarat are giving a reply to BJP misrule through elections.”
However, the BSP chief did not mention a word about the pre-poll alliance with the SP or other secular parties for the coming lok Sabha polls at the meeting. Mayawati further said, “People of UP have revolted against the BJP and are teaching them a lesson as witnessed in Gorakhpur and Phulpur lok Sabha bypolls. We have discussed political issues with party leaders and cadre on the alliance on Monday.
“All are of the view that there should be unity among poor and neglected communities and they should join hands to grab power and provide welfare to all,” she said.
The BSP leader also directed the party workers to celebrate Dr BR Ambedkar’s birth anniversary on April 14 at divisional level in a big way. Mayawati is expected to attend a programme at Dr BR Ambedkar Memorial in lucknow that will be attended only party leaders and cadre of lucknow division.