Amit Shah is the biggest ‘Kasab’ who terrorised India: BSP chief Mayawati hits back - Hindustan Times
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Amit Shah is the biggest ‘Kasab’ who terrorised India: BSP chief Mayawati hits back

Hindustan Times, Lucknow | By
Feb 24, 2017 06:11 PM IST

BJP president Amit Shah is the biggest “Kasab” who terrorised the country, Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati said on Thursday, hitting back for a controversial comment linking terrorist Ajmal Kasab to names of the saffron party’s opponents in Uttar Pradesh.

BJP president Amit Shah is the biggest “Kasab” who terrorised the country, Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati said on Thursday, hitting back for a controversial comment linking terrorist Ajmal Kasab to names of the saffron party’s opponents in Uttar Pradesh.

BSP chief Mayawati addresses an election rally in Faizabad in Uttar Pradesh.(PTI)
BSP chief Mayawati addresses an election rally in Faizabad in Uttar Pradesh.(PTI)

Shah invoked Pakistan terrorist Ajmal Kasab while addressing public meetings in Azamgarh and Gorakhpur on Wednesday. “Until Uttar Pradesh gets rid of K-A-S-A-B, there will be no development in the state. Ka (in Hindi) is for Congress, Sa for Samajwadi Party and Ba for BSP.”

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Kasab was the only Pakistani attacker caught alive after the 2008 Mumbai attack and was hanged in 2012.

On Thursday, Mayawati said invoking the Pakistani terrorist in a public meeting reflected on the mentality of BJP leaders.

“The BJP is aware of the fact that it is on slippery ground in UP and the BSP is coming to power. To cover their desperation, the BJP leaders are making obnoxious comments,” she said.

Targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Mayawati said, “The people of UP should send the adopted son to Gujarat and elect their own daughter (Mayawati) to lead the state.”

Modi had claimed himself to be the adopted son of UP at a rally earlier.

Uttar Pradesh is voting in seven-phase polls with the BJP fighting against a Samajwadi Party-Congress alliance and the BSP.

A large number of people converged on the rally ground to hear Mayawati who has represented Ambedkar Nagar in Lok Sabha four times (1989, 1998, 1999 and 2004).

Having a sizable Dalit population, it is considered a strong fort of the BSP but the party failed to open its account in the district in the last assembly elections.

On Thursday, Mayawati was elated over large turnout of women and asked them to serve food to men only after they cast their vote. “The safety of the women and their welfare will be my top priority after BSP forms government,” she said.

Addressing women, Mayawati said, “To attend my rally women completed their domestic chores early in the morning and boarded bus, tractor, trollies and various vehicles to reach here. They braved odds to attend the rally as they are aware of the fact that their dignity and honour will be protected only under the BSP government.”

“Rule of law will be enforced in the state and strict measures will be taken to check atrocities on women. The girls and women will able to move freely out of their home after sunset. The criminals will be put behind bar,” she said.

She also promised cheap electricity, water and ration to the families below poverty line. “Instead of allowance, the BSP government will give employments to youths,” she said.

Eyeing a comeback, the BSP chief has fielded senior leaders on five assembly seats in the district. While state unit president Ramachal Rajbhar is contesting from Akbarpur, former minister Lalji Verma is in fray from Katheri and Tribhuvan Dutt from Alapur seat.

To win the support of Muslim community, who have a considerable presence on all the seats, Mayawati said only the BSP was in a position to stop the BJP from grabbing power.

“The SP is a divided house due to the infightings in the Yadav family and if Muslims support SP, their vote will go waste,” she claimed.

Announcing waiver of Rs 1 lakh loan for the farmers, she assured her supporters that the BSP government will reinstate the policy of allotting ‘patta’ to the landless.

“The land sharks who have grabbed the ‘patta’ given under BSP government will be sent to jail,” she said.

Terming the SP-Congress alliance as unholy she said, “The SP government harassed minority community and jungle raj prevailed in the state. Congress leaders overlooked the wrong policies of the SP government and opted for pre-poll alliance to serve their vested interest.”

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  • ABOUT THE AUTHOR
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    Rajesh Kumar Singh is Assistant Editor, Hindustan Times at the political bureau in Lucknow. Along with covering politics, he covers government departments. He also travels to write human interest and investigative stories.

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