MP Savitribai Phule accuses BJP of divisive politics, resigns from party

Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) Member of Parliament (MP) Savitribai Phule on Thursday resigned from the party accusing it of dividing the society and not doing enough on the issue of reservation.

Phule was elected from the Baharaich Lok Sabha constituency in 2014 elections and won for the first time from this reserved seat.

Following her resignation from the BJP, she alleged: "Remembering the Babri Masjid demolition of December 6, 1992, I am resigning today as I am hurt by the attempts of BJP to create divisions in the society. Since past many years, I have been running campaigns for the protection of reservation. I have been hearing that the reservation will be curtailed and the Constitution will be amended. I have been demanding for the full implementation of reservation."

She has also alleged that her voice was also not heard in the party as she belonged to Scheduled Caste community. "Being a Dalit MP, my voice was not being heard and I was being ignored. I am resigning from the party," she said.

She accused the BJP government of defending those who bring harm to the minorities and reserved communities. Speaking to ANI, she said: "I am a social worker and I am fighting for the rights of Other Backward Classes (OBC), Scheduled Castes (SC), and Schedule Tribes (ST). I have made sacrifices for this section throughout my life and will go to any limit to raise their voice. I am starting with a campaign for the implementation of India's Constitution from December 23."

Two days back on December 4, she had commented that rather than focusing on the construction of Ram Temple, the central government should think about the Constitution of India and make all castes equal. She had also claimed that Lord Hanuman was a Dalit, but a slave of the 'Manuwadi' people.

She sprung to limelight in May this year after she said that Pakistan's founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah was a 'maha purush' who had contributed to the country's independence.

Later in the same month, she also said that SCs, STs and Other Backward Castes will lose their rights in the country, the day reservation comes to an end.