‘Set your house in order first’: Maya hits back at Rahul
LUCKNOW : Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati on Sunday said Congress leader Rahul Gandhi should set his house in order before commenting on other political parties.
“Earlier his father (late) Rajiv Gandhi tried to defame and weaken the BSP, saying that BSP founder Kanshi Ram was a CIA agent. Now his son is following in his footsteps and making false allegations that I am afraid of central agencies -- CBI, ED and income tax department – and that I am soft against the BJP. There is no truth in this. He should know that I have got a clean chit, not from any party whose government was in power at the centre but from the Supreme Court,” she said.
On Saturday Rahul, while speaking at an event, said “We had approached Mayawati and offered her the position of chief minister (of UP), but she did not respond to the proposals.”
Addressing a press conference on Sunday, Mayawati rubbished Rahul’s claim that she did not respond to the Congress’ alliance offer during the UP assembly elections.
The Congress, which remained in power for a long time, did nothing for the social and economic uplift of weaker sections, whereas the BSP is working for empowerment of Dalits. The Congress is adopting all tricks to weaken the BSP, she said.
The Congress should introspect its record in its fight against the BJP. After Congress lost power, there is no sign of its fight against BJP and RSS, whereas the BJP has adopted all tricks to make the country, not only free of Congress, but also of opposition -- from panchayat to parliament. Like the Chinese political system, the BJP is
working to finish democracy and the Constitution, she said.
Reminding Rahul about the non-cooperation by Congressled UPA government at the centre with BSP government in 2007, Mayawati said then the UPA government had stopped assistance to central government schemes on the direction of Congress leadership.
The Congress government did not provide central forces when the court was to give verdict on the sensitive Ayodhya issue.
Also, the Congress leadership was planning to impose President’s rule in UP if the situation in the state deteriorated after the court order, but their plan failed,” she said.
Rahul had organised foot march, dharna and demonstration against the BSP government but when other parties’ government was in power, he did not launch any movement on public issues.
Earlier I have spoken, in detail, about BSP’s poor performance in UP assembly polls. Rahul should desist from making any comment against the BSP, she said.
“The BSP has its own style of working and organising movements over public issues. We do not indulge in political gimmicks like Rahul hugging Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the Lok Sabha,” she said.
The Congress had contested the 2017 assembly elections in alliance with Samajwadi Party (SP). The alliance failed to stop BJP from grabbing power. Rahul must make it clear to the people why the Congress-SP alliance failed to defeat the BJP then, she said.
Anshu Awasthi, coordinator and spokesperson of UP Congress Committee said “Before countering Rahul Gandhi ji, BSP chief Mayawati ji should introspect that for last five years it did not play the role of opposition in the state. Congress wanted the opposition to come together, but Mayawati ji wanted it to be weak.”