Mayawati quits Rajya Sabha, attacks BJP, govt for gagging her
Mayawati has given a three-page resignation letter to Ansari
NEW DELHI: BSP chief Mayawati on Tuesday resigned from the Rajya Sabha, accusing the BJP of preventing her from speaking in the House on issues close to her heart like the cause of depressed sections particularly Dalits.
“I had wanted to raise issues in the morning relating to Dalits and about the atrocities committed on them in Saharanpur’s Shabirpur village. But you saw the way the treasury benches, including ministers, behaved and prevented me from speaking. When I cannot convey what I want to, then I thought it is not okay.
“I decided I will resign. I have just met the Rajya Sabha Chairman (Hamid Ansari) and I have handed over my resignation from the House,” she told reporters.
Mayawati has given a three-page resignation letter to Ansari which officials say may not be accepted because members quitting Parliament are expected to submit their resignation in a simple format and without conditions.
Mayawati, whose six-year term was to end in April next year, said when she was on her way to submit the resignation, leaders of the UPA requested her not to resign saying her strong voice was needed in the House.
“I am thankful to them but I have decided to stick to my decision,” she said. The Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Ghulam Nabi Azad, criticised the treasury benches and ministers for not allowing Mayawati to raise issues of concern to her.
Earlier, Mayawati stormed out of the Rajya Sabha threatening to quit when she was not allowed to speak beyond three minutes over “atrocities on Dalits”. She demanded a discussion over the issue but Deputy Chairman P J Kurien told her she had already made her demand for a full discussion and should let the House conduct its business.
Launching a scathing attack against the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh and central government, she said both remained “mute spectators” to the violence targeting Dalits in Saharanpur in May when their houses were torched and 15 Dalits injured. She said BSP leaders were not even allowed to visit the affected families.