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Uttar Pradesh assembly polls: Mayawati warns Muslims, Dalits against BJP, SP
The BSP chief also urged voters to support the BSP in the upcoming elections and reject the rival BJP, SP and Congress, who she claimed were “anti- Dalit”, “anti- Muslim” and “anti-OBC”
Ahead of the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati on Saturday slammed the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for their anti-Dalit politics.
The former chief minister appealed to members of the Muslim and Dalit communities not to forget the Muzaffaranagar riots and Shabbirpur violence during the SP and BJP regimes in Uttar Pradesh, respectively.
Polling for the 403-member Uttar Pradesh legislative assembly will be held in seven phases starting February 10, and votes will be counted on March 10.
“The Samajwadi Party government ended the Jatav-Muslim brotherhood in western Uttar Pradesh, plotting the Muzaffarnagar riots in which members of both communities suffered loss of life and property,” Mayawati said at a public meeting in Saharanpur.
In the same manner, she added, the BJP government “ended the Dalit- Kshatriya brotherhood by instigating violence against the Dalits in Shabbirpur village in Saharanpur district”.
In Muzaffarnagar district, clashes between the Hindu and Muslim communities took place in August-September 2013 when the SP was in power in the state. More than 60 people were killed and 40,000 displaced in the riots. According to reports, 510 cases have been registered by the police in relation to the riots, and 1,480 people were arrested.
On April 14, 2017, tension erupted between Dalit and Rajput communities at Shabbirpur village in Saharanpur district over the installation of Bhimrao Ambedkar statue by the Dalit community to mark his birth anniversary. The two community members clashed on May 5 during the birth anniversary celebration of Maharana Pratap by the Rajputs, leading to the death of an upper caste youth. Later, the Rajput community members allegedly attacked the Dalits, in which 12 Dalits were injured and 40 houses were set afire. The incident happened during the current BJP regime in the state. Police registered a case and arrested two dozen people.
The BSP chief also urged voters to support the BSP in the upcoming elections and reject the rival BJP, SP and Congress, who she claimed were “anti- Dalit”, “anti- Muslim” and “anti-OBC”. During the tenure of BSP-led government on four occasions in the state, members of all communities and castes progressed under the “sarvajan hitay sarvajan sukhay (for the welfare of everyone, for the happiness of everyone)” formula, she said.
Attacking the SP, Mayawati claimed that the party’s tenure in the state under its patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav and former chief minister Akhilesh Yadav “insulted” Dalit intellectuals and saints by changing the names of various institutions named after Dalit icons.
She also alleged that the SP had sidelined the Muslims despite their support. “The SP chief thinks Muslims are in his pocket and sidelined them after forming government in 2012.”
The four-term former chief minister vowed to restore the schemes, projects and districts that were named after Dalit icons, adding that strict measures will be taken to improve the law and order of Uttar Pradesh if BSP is voted to power.
“A commission will be constituted to implement the genuine demands of government employees. Farmers will get fair prices of their products and exploitation of traders will be checked. Development will be the main agenda of the BSP government,” Mayawati said.
Attacking the BJP-led Union government, she said various “controversial rules and laws” passed by the Centre will not be implemented in Uttar Pradesh if her party forms the government in the state.
“Cases lodged by the BJP government against people for organising dharnas and demonstrations will be withdrawn after proper investigation. There will be no discrimination on the basis of caste or religion,” she said, adding that her party will send all “goons, mafia and criminals to jail”.
The BJP indulged in politics of hate in the name of religion and suppressed the Muslims, Dalits and Hindu intellectuals, she claimed. Due to the wrong policies of the BJP government, prices of essential items have increased and people have suffered during the Covid-19 pandemic, she added.
Mayawati urged the voters not to be lured by the election manifesto released by the rival parties. “People should not be misguided by the opinion polls and surveys carried out by the media. Like 2007, the BSP will again form government on its own,” she said.
Meanwhile, Samajwadi Party state spokesperson Rajendra Chaudhary said the SP government had worked for the welfare and upliftment of all communities, including Muslims. “The Muslim community has dumped the BSP. The attempt of the BSP to misguide the Muslim community will not succeed as they have made up their mind to support the SP,” Chaudhary added.
Uttar Pradesh BJP president Sameer Singh said under the Yogi Adityanath government all communities got benefit of the schemes and projects launched by the government. “The BSP is indulged in the politics of caste and religion, the people will reject it in the assembly elections.”
