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SP, Congress exploiting Kanshi Ram for ‘selfish pursuit of Dalit votes’: Mayawati
In a post on X, the BSP chief said that with the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections approaching, anti-Dalit parties were celebrating Kanshi Ram’s birth anniversary as part of a well-planned political strategy.
Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) president Mayawati on Tuesday accused the Samajwadi Party and the Congress of indulging in a “selfish pursuit of Dalit votes” by celebrating BSP founder Kanshi Ram’s birth anniversary and demanding that he be conferred upon the Bharat Ratna.
In a post on X, the BSP chief said that with the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections approaching, anti-Dalit parties were celebrating Kanshi Ram’s birth anniversary as part of a well-planned political strategy.
“The Congress party did not confer upon the Bharat Ratna on Kanshi Ram when it was in power at the Centre. Now it is demanding the honour from another party’s government. If this is not ridiculous, what is?” she said.
Mayawati alleged that both parties had been trying to weaken the BSP since its inception. “From the very beginning, these parties have been engaged in efforts to destroy the BSP, whose foundation was laid by Kanshi Ram. Today, no one can challenge the sole successor of Kanshi Ram and the national president of the BSP,” she said.
“The way the SP and Congress are trying to exploit the name of the icons of the BSP for political gains, it seems that there is no life left in the great men of these parties. They ignored Kanshi Ram in every matter when he was alive,” she added.
Mayawati also alleged that several works carried out by the BSP government in honour of Kanshi Ram and other Dalit icons were undone by the SP government.
“This shows the duplicate conduct and character of these parties towards Dalit icons. It would be better for the SP, Congress as well as their Dalit stooge to stay silent. This is the advice. To maintain distance from such people, Kanshi Ram even wrote a book in English titled ‘Chamcha Yug’ (The Era of the Lackey),” Mayawati said.
The remarks come days after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi demanding that Kanshi Ram be conferred upon the Bharat Ratna posthumously. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav had also urged the central government to honour the BSP founder with the country’s highest civilian award.
Both the Congress and the SP organised programmes on March 15 to pay tribute to Kanshi Ram on his birth anniversary.
Responding to Mayawati’s remarks, Samajwadi Party MP from Agra Ramji Lal Suman said Kanshi Ram belonged to all political parties. “The SP is aware of its responsibilities towards weaker sections. The BSP chief should focus on the functioning of her own party,” he said.
