To divert attention, BJP govt can wage war with Pak: Maya

2017 UTTAR PRADESH POLLS

SHARPENING HER attack on the government at the Centre, BSP chief Mayawati Sunday said the BJP can “go to any extent” to win the UP Assembly elections.

Addressing a massive rally at the ITI ground in Azamgarh — Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav’s turf — Mayawati alleged that both the central government and the SP government in the state could “foment communal passions” for the sake of votes and “to conceal its failures” on the front of public welfare before or during the elections.

“To divert people’s attention from the failures of the BJP and the Centre, the government can go to war (with Pakistan) on the issue of Kashmir and terrorism. People have understood the designs of parties like the SP, and especially the BJP. The BJP can trigger Hindu-muslim riots in UP before or during the Assembly elections and the people should be careful,” Mayawati said.

She said the BJP’S Tiranga Yatra had been organised for this very purpose in the last few weeks.

The BSP chief hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for “not fulfilling any of the promises made to the people of Purvanchal” (eastern UP), a region which includes his parliamentary constituency Varanasi, during his Lok Sabha election campaign. She said the dreams of acchhe din “peddled” by Modi have turned into bad days.

She said the central government’s schemes like Jan Dhan Yojana and development of smart cities are meant only for “the moneybags and rich people”. She said the central government is curbing the reservation benefits for Dalits and OBCS by giving more work to the private sector. She also hit out at those leaving her party to join the BJP.

Reacting to the attack, the BJP said Mayawati was depressed as her leaders were deserting her. “The trioka of Congress, SP and BSP has been rattled by the rising popularity of BJP. BSP supremo Mayawati has made certain irritating remarks out of this depression,” said BJP national secretary Shrikant Sharma. “One after the other, able and honest BSP leaders are deserting her sinking ship to join BJP. That is why she is making graceless comments against them.” WITH PTI INPUTS, DELHI

Pramod Adhikari At Mayawati’s Azamgarh rally on Sunday.