BSP to not to take part in Constitution Day programmes, says Mayawati

BSP president Mayawati on Friday asked the Central and state governments to seriously ponder if they are following the Constitution in the true spirit, and announced that her party will not take part in the programmes being organised on Constitution Day.

The benefits given to SC/STs by the Constitution have not reached these sections, she lamented.

"On Constitution Day, Central and state governments need to seriously review whether they are following the Indian Constitution properly and with full honesty. The BSP feels that it is not being done and the governments need to think over it," she told reporters here.

"And so, the BSP has decided not to take part in programmes organised by the Central and state governments on Constitution Day," she said.

"SC, ST and OBC reservation backlog is lying in government jobs for which they are fighting on the roads.No effort has been made till now to provide reservation in private jobs. Centre and state governments are not ready to frame any law for the same," she said.

The government does not have the moral right to celebrate Constitution Day and needs to apologise to these sections of society and promptly overcome this shortcoming, she said.

The former Uttar Pradesh chief minister said people of different communities and religions live in the country and there are laws as per the Constitution for the progress, safety and security of their lives and property which are not being followed properly by the Central and state governments. All the governments need to pay attention to it."

The BSP chief said SCs and STs should be weary of parties like the SP which, she recalled had torn a bill pertaining to reservation of SC and STs in Parliament.

Parties like these can never develop these sections of society, she said

She also noted that on Constitution Day, the farmers' agitation against farm laws has also completed a year.

Though the three farm laws have been taken back, which is a right step, it should have been taken much earlier. The BSP wants that other important demands of the farmers should be accepted by the Centre, Mayawati said.

The BSP president also announced appointment of Rasra MLA Uma Shankar Singh as the leader of the legislature party after Shah Alam, who was occupying the post, resigned as MLA and from the party.