Bhagidaari Morcha holds meeting, targets BJP

LUCKNOW : A conglomeration of various smaller parties, largely representing OBCs and Dalits, including former BJP ally Om Prakash Rajbhar’s Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party and Jan Adhikar Party of ex-Mayawati aide Babu Singh Kushwaha, met in Lucknow on Monday to target the ruling BJP over issues ranging from reservation, citizenship law and NPR.

SBSP and Jan Adhikar Party along with other lesser known OBC parties floated the Bhagidaari Sankalp Morcha, which also announced its decision to take on the BJP in 2022 UP assembly polls during the meeting organised at Gandhi Bhawan.

At Monday’s meeting, these smaller parties also jointly raised the demand for providing reservation to Dalits and OBCs in private sector.

Babu Singh Kushwaha flagged the issue of citizenship law and how the BJP is deftly trying to draw mileage from it, Om Prakash Rajbhar, who till the 2019 Lok Sabha polls was a minister in the Yogi Adityanath government, raised the issue of adequate representation in power to Dalits and OBCs, specially the numerically dominant subcastes among Dalits and OBCs.

“I don’t want Ram Raj, I want Ambedkar Raj so that all can live as equal partners in decision making,” Rajbhar said. He also alleged police atrocities on opposition cadres had increased but urged cadres to continue to raise their voice.

“Don’t be afraid of police atrocities. We are going to hold the police accountable but I need your support,” he said. Babu Singh Kushwaha also spoke on similar lines though he also highlighted the NRC and citizenship law.

“Various parties are coming together to be part of our alliance against the BJP. Today’s meeting was part of our efforts to know each other so that we get together on the same page,” Rajbhar said later.