Mayawati hits back at abusive remark by BJP leader

Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati, reacting strongly to derogatory remarks against her by a BJP leader of Uttar Pradesh, said "the man, in fact, has used those words against his own daughter and sister", and not against her.

"The man did not speak against me. He, in fact, used those (shameful) words against his daughter and sister," said Mayawati in the Rajya Sabha after other members criticised Bharatiya Janata Party's Uttar Pradesh Vice President Dayashankar Singh's comments equating Mayawati with a sex worker.

Clarifying that in political life, it is a battle of ideologies Mayawati said she has never used derogatory language against anybody even if her supporters and well-wishers urged her to counter others who used such terms.

"The BJP must sit with Prime Minister (and discuss the issue). He (Singh) should be thrown out of the party," she said in a charged tone.

Mayawati also said that if the BJP has to progress, then it must get rid of such persons.

"Today, he has made derogatory comments against me, tomorrow he will use the same language against some other woman member of the house," she said, adding that it showed the anti-Dalit mindset of the BJP.

Earlier in the day, Dayashankar Singh accused Mayawati of selling her party's election tickets to the highest bidder.

"Mayawati has deviated from the principles that were outlined by Kanshi Ram," he was seen as saying in a video clip.

He then said her decision-making on ticket distribution was akin to that of a sex worker.

"She sells BSP seats to the highest-bidder. In the morning, Mayawati may give a BSP ticket to someone for Rs 1 crore. After two hours, she may sell the same ticket for Rs 2 crore. In the evening, she may even hand over the same seat to another person for Rs 3 crore," said Singh.

--IANS

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