Keeping equidistance from Congress and BJP, Mayawati said that BSP was against land Acquisition Bill as it was anti-farmer and declared that her party would not join any agitation against this bill led by Congress. “BJP is toeing the lines of Congress as both these parties are anti-poor and anti-dalit. The BSP will expose both these parties and will not support the land Acquisition Bill in the present form in Rajya Sabha,” Mayawati told reporters here on Sunday.
Showing her resentment over the Bill she said that BJP’s downslide has begun. “The way party discussed this Bill in its National Executive meeting shows that BJP is shaky and its downfall has begun. The recent statement by some senior BJP leaders including Union Ministers has shown the frustration of the party” she said and added that in last 10 months the Modi Government had worked for only industrialists and capitalists.
When asked why BSP had not joined the all-party march led by Sonia Gandhi she said BSP purposefully avoided that march because it did not want to send a signal that her party was joining hands with Congress. “We are against the amendment land Acquisition Bill and will continue to register our protest,” she said. She blamed the BJP government at the Centre for being anti-dalit. “The Dalit icons were being insulted and the ideology of social justice ignored. Reservation for the Dalits and backwards are being ignored as industrialists and capitalist forces are being promoted in this government,” she said.
The BSP president also criticised the BJP government for scrapping many pro-poor schemes and curtailing subsidy being given to the poor. “Centre can provide sops to the industrialists by giving rebate in corporate tax, but the poor are being targeted in this budget,” she said. “The Indian Government should confer Bharat Ratna to BSP founder Kansi Ram. He has the man who had worked for the uplift of Dalits and backwards. Ignoring him is like an insult towards the society,” she said.
Reacting to the announcement of BJP and Congress to celebrate the birth anniversary of Dr B R Ambedkar in a big way, Mayawati said these parties shed crocodile tears, but have only insulted the Dalit icons. “BJP tried to lure Dalits during the 2014 lok Sabha elections but failed to get positive response. The dalits know that BJP is only interested in dividing the country on religious lines and therefore have ignored them,” she said The former CM also demanded that Uttar Pradesh should be divided into four parts and also demanded setting up a bench of the Allahabad High Court in western UP.