Rahul Gandhi takes on Mayawati, reaches out to Dalits

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Thursday launched a scathing attack on Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati, saying that she did nothing for the Dalits in Uttar Pradesh.

Speaking at the Dalit Netratitva Vikas Sammelan here, Gandhi said, "Kanshiram ji did a great job for the Dalits. But the platform provided by him was not properly used by Mayawati. The way the Dalits should have been profited and developed in the state could not happen. She didn't let the Dalit leadership in the party to flourish," he said.

"She tried to suppress the Dalits. She got scared by the Dalit leadership in the party and, therefore, it provided an opportunity to the Congress. The truth is that there is a very big opportunity for the Congress at the present," he added.

Gandhi said the Dalit community in Uttar Pradesh is of the view that their plight would drastically change if the Congress Party joins hands with them.

"They are asking whether the Congress party can provide an opportunity to the Dalit youth in Uttar Pradesh," he said.

He also used the stage to target the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

and said that the latter want to suppress the poor and the downtrodden section of the society.

"The Congress Party and the RSS are involved in a fight at this point of time. At one side, there is the Congress which believes that the person standing in the last should also get the rights provided by the Constitution. We are for the Constitution, drafted by Bhimrao Ambedkar, which gives opportunity to everyone. On the other hand, there is RSS and its 'manuwadi' ideology," Gandhi said.

"A true Congress worker feels the pain of the poor and the downtrodden. He tries to find the pain through his actions and minimize them," he added.

Before addressing the Sammelan, the Congress vice-president was shown black flags by the BJP workers in the city.

The Congress vice-president's remarks assume significance as Uttar Pradesh votes for the assembly polls next year.