BE WARY OF CONG’S ELECTION STUNT: MAYAWATI TO DALITS

LUCKNOW/NEW DELHI: With Charanjit Singh Channi taking oath as Punjab’s first Dalit chief minister, BSP president Mayawati on Monday termed it an “election stunt” of the Congress and asked Dalits to be wary of it.

Mayawati, whose party has tied up with Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) for the upcoming Punjab assembly polls, also said whatever the “casteist parties” are giving to Dalits and OBCS, whether it is in Punjab, Uttar Pradesh or other states, it is for their votes and to serve selfish motives and not for ameliorating their lot.

“Making a person belonging to Dalit caste as the chief minister of Punjab is nothing but an election stunt. I have come to know through the media today that assembly elections in Punjab will be fought under a nondalit leader and not under Channi,” Mayawati told newspersons here.

Attacking the Congress, she said, “It still does not have faith in Dalits. Dalits need to be very alert to their double standards.”

BJP attacks Cong

The BJP alleged on Monday that the Congress has made Charanjit Singh Channi Punjab chief minister for a few months merely to grab Dalit votes as part of its conspiracy, and cited previous instances of the party giving the key position to a leader from the community only for a short tenure.

The BJP fronted its Dalit leaders to target the Congress and dared the rival party to make a public promise that Channi will be its chief ministerial face in Punjab, which faces assembly polls early next year, if it was sincere about its move. The Congress has sought to burnish its pro-dalit credentials by making Channi the first member of the community to become Punjab chief minister.