The politics over the flogging of Dalit youths near Una town in Gujarat continues, as on Thursday it was Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati’s turn to visit the victims.
Just like Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, the BSP chief too announce financial aid for the victims and said that they need to be referred to a Delhi hospital for better treatment. In case the State Government would not agree to bear the cost of treatment, her party would make it a point to get them treated, she said after meeting the victims at Ahmedabad Civil Hospital.
As many as seven Dalits were beaten by self-styled cow protection vigilantes near Mota Samadhiyala Village in Una taluka of Gir Somnath district in Saurasthra on July 11 for skinning a dead cow. In this context Mayawati came to for a short visit of Ahmedabad.
Apart from Rahul Gandhi, AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal, Gujarat CM Anandiben, Union Minister Parasotam Rupala among others already visited victims at their village Mota Samadhiyala.
Before meeting the victims admitted at Ahmedabad civil hospital, Mayawati garlanded a statue of Dr BR Ambedkar in Sarangpur area of Ahmedabad after landing at Sardarpatel Airport.
In interaction with media, she took the opportunity to criticised ruling BJP as well as RSS for rising number of atrocities on Dalits not only in Gujarat but across the country. Bringing her State Uttar Pradesh’s controversial issue of DayaShankar, she blamed on the saffron party for not allowing her to visit Una.
For becoming late to visit victim, she blamed on BJP saying that they (BJP leaders) did conspire by seeing that DayaShankar makes an irresponsible statement.
“It diverted the attention and kept me busy. I also did not because I felt that the way BJP has tried to divide the nation on caste lines, if I had come earlier, it would have created a national crises. So I waited for situation to stabilise and have come to meet the family,” she added.
Mayawati didn’t spare even Opposition Congress party and criticised the grand old party for remained quiet for at least a week after the incident. On Anandiben Patel’s resignation she also took credit Kejriwal saying that the BJP was worried that her visit to Gujarat would sent a strong signal across the country and hence they forced the first woman CM to quit.