These are places of pilgrimage, says Maya

For the next six months, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) memorials in Lucknow will be open to visitors for free. The state government will also launch a nation-wide campaign to make these parks popular among tourists, Chief Minister Mayawati has said.

For the next six months, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) memorials in Lucknow will be open to visitors for free.

The state government will also launch a nation-wide campaign to make these parks popular among tourists, Chief Minister Mayawati has said.

HT Image

These memorials have statues of Mayawati, her mentor and BSP founder Kanshi Ram, Dr B.R. Ambedkar and elephant, the BSP’s symbol.

Talking to mediapersons on Wednesday, Mayawati criticised the opposition for what she said was a tirade against memorials to Dalit icons.

The parks, she said, was an expression of faith of half the country’s population. “These are places of pilgrimage for those who follow Dalit saints and sadhus,” Mayawati said. The monuments were aimed at “mental empowerment” of Dalits, she said.

Refuting the charge that public funds had been diverted towards the memorials, the CM said the
assembly had cleared the budgetary provisions.

The income generated from entry tickets, after the entry-free window, will be used for building roads in Dalit colonies, she said.