Worried about political fallout, BSP may defer July 25 stir Dayashankar’s wife Swati to meet governor today

The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) might defer its statewide agitation planned on July 25. A meeting of the senior leaders will be held under the leadership of the party’s national president Mayawati on Sunday to discuss the strategy for the movement.

The party’s national general secretary Naseemuddin Siddiqui had announced on Friday that the BSP would hold a statewide demonstration on July 25 if the police failed to arrest expelled BJP leader Dayashankar Singh within 36 hours.

Making a U-turn on Saturday, a senior BSP leader said, “The plan for the statewide agitation is likely to be amended. The final decision will be taken in the meeting held under the chairmanship of the party chief.”

Mayawati will review the strategy for the agitation in the Sunday meeting and finalise the date. A BSP leader said district unit leaders had demanded postponement of the stir in order to mobilise supporters. The low turnout of workers in the Thursday agitation in the city gave the BSP camp sufficient reason to worry.

Sources said the BSP leadership was worried that the rival parties, especially the BJP, might try to give a dalit-upper caste or Hindu-Muslim colour to the entire issue stemming from Singh’s remark and the reaction by the BSP. The BJP leaders have attacked the BSP for allegedly making objectionable comments about Singh’s wife and daughter a day after Singh made a derogatory comment against Mayawati.

The BJP’s main target seems to be Maywati’s close aide Naseemuddin Siddqui, projected as the party’s Muslim face.

Hitting out at Siddiqui, the BJP leaders have said that he instigated the BSP workers to make derogatory remark against the mother, the wife and the daughter of Singh.

Swati Singh, wife of expelled BJP leader Dayashankar Singh, will meet governor Ram Naik on Sunday.

She will apprise the governor about the incidents following the July 21 BSP protest in Lucknow in which derogatory slogans were raised against her daughter, sister in-law and mother-in-law.

Meanwhile, Swati Singh on Saturday met Juhie Singh, chairperson of the state commission for protection of child rights.

She apprised the chairperson about the trauma the entire family was going through, especially her minor daughter, after the BSP’s protest rally on July 21.

Juhie Singh assured Swati that appropriate steps would be taken to safeguard her family.

LUCKNOW: