Mayawati takes fight to SP chief Mulayam’s turf
Says ruling party, BJP can engineer riots to reap electoral benefits
AZAMGARH: BSP chief Mayawati on Sunday attacked the Narendra Modi government, claiming it could start a war with Pakistan on the issue of terrorism just to divert people’s attention from its failures.
Cautioning the electorate here at Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav’s turf, she sharpened her attack on both BJP and SP, saying they could go to the extent of engineering riots to reap electoral benefits in the upcoming polls in Uttar Pradesh.
“To divert people’s attention from its failures, the government can go to war (with Pakistan) on the issue of Kashmir and terrorism,” she said at a huge rally here.
Azamgarh is represented by Mulayam in the Lok Sabha. He had won from both Azamgarh and Mainpuri in 2014 but gave up the latter.
Mayawati’s rally here is being considered as the first trial of strength against the ruling SP in Mulayam’s bastion.
“Both the governments have cheated the people and failed to deliver on poll promises,” she said, referring to BJP at the Centre and SP in the state, and accused the BJP of being antiDalit and the SP of encouraging “goondas and mafias”.
The promise of ‘good days’ by the BJP has turned into ‘bad days’ due to inflation under the rule of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, she said, adding that BJP has badly failed in delivering its promises.
Terming those quitting BSP as ‘rejected’, Mayawati said BJP’s condition was so miserable that it was accepting those ‘rejected’ by her party.
During her about-an-hourlong speech, the BSP chief was most critical of the Centre. She said the Una and Rohith Vemula incidents proved that the BJP was anti-Dalit.
Mayawati also tried to woo upper caste people, saying those among them in poor economic conditions should also get reservation. She claimed that she wrote to the Centre during her tenure for the same.
The BSP leader also referred to the separate Purvanchal state issue, saying she passed a resolution on the issue during her tenure.
She termed the allegations of ticket selling in the BSP as baseless and described them as an attempt by her opponents to tarnish the image of her party.
Swami Prasad Maurya, who quit the BSP recently, had alleged that Mayawati was selling tickets.
Mayawati also criticised the Congress for not taking any concrete measures to improve the condition of Dalits and promised that those involved in atrocities against Dalits would be sent to jail after BSP comes to power in the state.
Of the 10 assembly seats in this area, SP holds a majority. Mayawati is now hoping to make a dent in eastern UP in the coming state polls and chose Azamgarh for her first rally in the region which has a significant Muslim population apart from her Dalit vote base.