Maya vows to carve out four states from UP if voted to power

GORAKHPUR: Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati on Sunday assured people that if her party formed the government, it will not sit in peace till it divides UP into four smaller states, including Purvanchal, as proposed in her previous tenure.

Towards the end of her previous tenure in 2011, the UP assembly had passed a resolution for division of the present day Uttar Pradesh into four states.

Addressing an election meeting in Gorakhpur, she said, “Your under-developed district can’t be developed till the creation of a separate state. Efforts in this direction will be stepped up if the BSP comes to power. This election, you need to punish the Congress, the BJP and the SP, which have been opposing creation of Purvanchal. ”

She attacked the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over demonetisation and alleged atrocities on Dalits.

Cautioning Dalits, her core constituency, she reiterated that the BJP was following the RSS agenda and planning to do away with reservation in jobs and educational institutions. The task will become easier if the BJP wins the UP election, she said. She also said Muslims were feeling insecure and stressed that her party was against the BJP’s stand on triple talaq.

“Since communal and radical forces have gained strength in the country, Muslims are being targeted on issues like love jihad, cow vigilantism and nationalism. The way Muslims are being associated with terrorism is a matter of grave concern,” she said.

Wooing Muslim voters, she said that her government will review the cases in which innocent people of the community were jailed and will pave the way for their release.

Accusing Modi of misguiding people with his statement that successive governments of rival parties discriminated in power distribution and water supply among Muslims and Hindus during their respective festivals in UP, she said that during her four tenures as CM, people from both communities were provided power and water on their festivals.

Your underdeveloped district can’t be developed till the creation of a separate state. Efforts in this direction will be stepped up if the BSP comes to power. MAYAWATI, BSP chief