Farmers, labourers worst hit due to demonetisation: Mayawati

Farmers and labourers were the worst hit due to demonetisation, Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati alleged today and asked the government to waive off farm loans and deposit the black money recovered by it into the accounts of the poor.
Launching a fresh attack on the Modi government on demonetisation, she said that 37 days after demonetisation people continue to suffer and the poor farmers have no money to sow their crops and labourers have been forced to return to their native places in the absence of work.
"Farmers and the labourers are the worst affected due to government's decision of demonetisation. The labour have been forced to return to their native places in the absence of any work and farmers are unable to sow their crops in the absence of money.

"Since the Modi government claims to have collected huge amount of money from its drive against black money, the government should deposit the money collected into the accounts of the poor, waive off farm loans and stop feeding the rich businessmen," she told reporters outside Parliament.
Accusing the Prime Minister of taking the demonetisation decision only keeping Uttar Pradesh elections in mind, Mayawati said it will backfire in the upcoming polls and people of Uttar Pradesh will teach BJP a lesson.
"We have been against black money and corruption from the very beginning, but the Central government took this decision without any planning, keeping in mind UP elections and not black money," she said.

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"Our partymen are saying they voted for BSP, but the
votes went to 'Kamal' (lotus)...They are wondering as to how this could have happened," Mayawati said.
"In Muslim and Dalit-dominated areas too it is the BJP which has got the votes...BJP is saying that they got the vote of Muslim women over their stand on triple talaq...Will they (Muslim women) accept BJP when they are first associated with their religion and (also) when BJP did not give even a single ticket to Muslim?
"Had they been well wishers of Muslim women, they could have given 20 to 25 tickets to them," Mayawati said.

The BSP chief alleged that to divert people's attention from this "fraud", BJP leaders and some 'dalal-type' people sit in the media (discussions) along with some others of different parties and try to change the minds of the people.
She said the BJP was projecting as if the BSP is finished in the media and branded those taking part in such discussions as "bonded labourers" who are made to speak out against the BSP.
"You are dishonest, you killed democracy and committed fraud and so are doing all this...Chor kabhi nahi kehta hum chor hain (a thief will never say he has committed theft). If they are honest and clean, what is the need for clarifications?" she said in her hard-hitting remarks.

The BSP supremo said if BJP's denial of any tampering in EVMs had any ground they should not have any fears and they need not run away from the charge.
"If they are really honest and loyal to democracy then they should immediately order new polls through traditional paper ballots. This will prove who has killed democracy, but they will not agree to it," she said.
Mayawati said that despite the massive victory in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, BJP leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi were wearing an artificial smile.
"The smile and glow which needed to be there on their face after such a massive win is not visible," Maywati said, adding that even the language being used by them also proved that this win in not an honest one.