Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo and former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati on Saturday launched a sharp attack on the Congress, accusing it of indulging in “opportunistic politics” over the issue of caste-based
census. Taking to social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Mayawati mocked the Congress for organising a thanksgiving rally over the Centre’s recent decision to conduct a caste census, suggesting that the grand old party was trying to take undue credit for the move.
“The Congress is trying to claim credit for the Centre’s decision, but it conveniently forgets its own dark history of depriving Dalits and OBCs of their constitutional rights and reservations,” she wrote. “This is one of the reasons it lost power in the first place.” She alleged that the Congress’s “sudden love” for Dalits and OBCs was nothing but a “deceptive ploy” driven by electoral calculations. “This is pure vote-bank politics. The Congress cannot wash off its past attempts to dilute and neutralise the reservation system,” she said, adding that the BJP too was no better on this front. Mayawati stated that both the BJP and the Congress were “two sides of the same coin” when it came to undermining constitutional provisions meant for the upliftment of marginalised communities. “The BJP is also guilty of working against the welfare objectives enshrined in the Constitution,” she said.
Despite her criticisms, the BSP chief welcomed the BJP-led Centre’s decision to initiate a caste census, claiming that the ruling party was compelled to bow to public pressure and growing demand for it. However, she accused both the Congress and the BJP of maintaining a casteist and hostile attitude in past landmark decisions, such as the conferment of the Bharat Ratna on Dr BR Ambedkar and the implementation of OBC reservations.
“Their political games are bizarre, and the public must remain cautious,” she concluded.