In Varanasi, Mayawati says Cong, BJP have anti-Dalit mindsets

Flaying Congress and BJP for their "anti-Dalit mindsets", BSP supremo Mayawati today appealed to the people to vote for her Bahujan Samaj party in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, so that even the daughter of a Dalit can become the Prime Minister.
Addressing a rally at Gaurakala village on the outskirts of Varanasi, Mayawati questioned Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and BJP's prime ministerial nominee Narendra Modi's "silence" on anti-Dalit remarks of yoga guru Baba Ramadev.
Referring to Ramdev's remarks that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi "goes to Dalits' house for honeymoon and picnic", the BSP supremo said it was an "insult" to the Dalit community and the silence shows that "Congress and BJP have anti-Dalit mindsets".

While Congress and BJP remained silent, "our party in Uttar Pradesh had taken care of the people belonging to all communities and had given equal respect on the basis of mankind in its previous four regime", she said.
"In this condition you all have to make efforts to bring BSP to power at the Centre, so that even the daughter of Dalit can become the Prime Minister of this country," she said.
Playing the 'Purvanchal card' to woo eastern UP voters, Mayawati said she had written many times to the Centre for carving out a separate state out of Uttar Pradesh, but Congress did not let the formation of separate Purvanchal.

She said the people here must stop BJP and Congress from coming to power as "both the parties are same".
She said the sizable number of Muslim voters would play a major role in Varanasi, and urged them not to let their votes get divided between Congress, SP and other parties as this would benefit BJP's nominee Narendra Modi.
Mayawati appealed to the Muslims to vote for BSP, claiming that her party has the support of nearly two lakh fifty thousand Dalit electorates of Varanasi, along with other backward and upper caste voters, which makes her party nominee the strongest contender.