BSP leaders living in fear of exploitation: UP minister

Hitting out at the opposition, the ruling BJP in Uttar Pradesh today said the BSP leaders were living in fear and most of the party leaders belonging to the Kanshi Ram era have left the Mayawati-led outfit.

"Go and enquire the plight of BSP leaders...The leaders are so much afraid of Behenji (Mayawati) that those hailing from the days of Kanshi Ram, the experienced party leaders and co-ordinators have left the party because of exploitation (utpeeran)," UP Transport Minister Swatantra Dev Singh said.

"The leaders who were loyal to the party (BSP), Kanshi Ram and Mayawati had to face the height of exploitation. They are no longer a part of the BSP," he said, adding the opposition party was giving patronage to 'gunda' (hooligans) and mafia elements.

When asked whether the backward community was feeling alienated, the minister said, "The BJP has worked for all sections, and the government under PM Narendra Modi has come up with a large number of schemes for the Dalits.

"Who has sent Ram Nath Kovind to the Rashtrapati Bhavan? Who had made APJ Abdul Kalam the president of India? The thought process (soch), intention (niyat) and policy (neeti) of the BJP is good," he said.

"Parties like the SP and BSP have done nothing for the betterment of the Dalits, poor and oppressed, and today they have suddenly started talking about Dalit upliftment," Singh said.

Putting an end to rumours of a possible organisational revamping in the party's UP unit, the BJP leader said these were useless talks.

"Of the 71 party MPs from Uttar Pradesh, nearly 50 are from backward castes, and almost every community has been given representation (in Lok Sabha). BJP has worked to give honour to Babasaheb (B R Ambedkar) both inside the parliament and outside it," he added.