Mayawati attacks PM on Dalit outreach, calls it an 'eyewash'

Cautioning dalits and backwards against BJP's "designs", former UP chief minister Mayawati today said its leaders will only act as "bonded labourers of RSS" and claimed Prime Minister Narendra Modi could do little for the OBCs though he claims to belong to the community.
"BJP or RSS can make any dalit or backward as the prime minister or chief minister of any state but he cannot do any thing good for his people...He will always remain a bonded labourer of BJP or RSS," the BSP supremo said taking on her political rivals at a meeting to pay homage to B R Ambedkar on his 125th birth anniversary.

Her remarks came in the backdrop of BJP appointing Keshav Prasad Maurya, a backward, as the UP unit president.
"This is clearly evident in the government of Narendra Modi who does not tire of saying that he is an OBC... Leave alone doing anything for his caste people, he has not not done anything for tea sellers though he has had free tea from them," Mayawati said, in a reference to Modi's days as a tea seller.
Virtually sounding the bugle for 2017 assembly election, Mayawati targeted ruling Samajwadi Party accusing it of "failing on all fronts" and promised a society free of fear and corruption if she is voted to power.

The BSP supremo also hit out at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for "not taking cognisance" of suicides by Dalit students when his party was in power.

"Now that the Congress is out of power, the 'yuvaraj' (prince) is going around in states ruled by other parties and indulging in theatrics," she said referring to Rohith Vemula suicide in Hyderabad.
Training her guns at BJP, Mayawati said Maurya has been appointed by BJP as state unit president though he has a criminal record and earlier its Chief Minister Kalyan Singh, who too belonged to backward community, could do nothing and all along toed the line of RSS on Ayodhya temple for which he had to also lose power.

Criticising Modi, she said although he spoke publicly on the issue of reservation because of "political compulsion", it appears to be a "mere eye wash and a mischievous move".
"Had Modi's intentions been clean, before allaying fears on any move to do away with quota, he would have taken action against his partymen and RSS workers who have been issuing wrong statements on making reservation ineffective," she said.
She warned that any move in the direction of ending reservation will have a serious impact and her party will not take it silently.
"If the need arises, I will personally lead the agitation by coming out on the streets," she said.

She also cautioned people against possible moves to rake up Ram temple issue by igniting religious feelings before the coming elections in UP, Uttarakhand and Punjab.
"They might resort to this tactic after failing to lure people on sensitive issues like love jehad and Hindu rashtra among others to serve their political interests.
"The real God and messiah of dalits, backwards and other deprived people all over the country is only Babasaheb Ambedar and not in Ayodhya, Mathura or Kedarnath," she said.
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Later, addressing a well attended public meeting, Mayawati asked people to give a crushing blow to SP and BJP and vote her party back to power to usher in rule of the law and development.

"Dump SP, BJP in the Assembly elections. Not just that, you ensure that their candidates forfeit their security deposits," she said.
Attacking the SP government in the state, Mayawati said, "The Chief Minister is only interested in playing cricket and visiting foreign countries, while most of the public money is being spent on his native village - Saifai."
Referring to the friendly match between CM XI and IAS XI played recently, she said, "Officers had enabled the CM to win the cricket match but in the elections, these officials will not be of much help."
Seeking to puncture claims of Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav hailing Lucknow Metro and Agra-Lucknow expressway as milestones of his government, Mayawati said these projects were the brainchild of the previous BSP government led by her.

Cautioning people against the "Dalit-backward card being played by Congress, BJP and SP", she said the rival parties indulged only in issuing statements.
"The goonda and mafias who had gone into hiding during the previous BSP government, came out and started moving about freely with SP coming to power," the former UP chief minister said.
The SP government earlier enjoyed the support of Congress and now BJP, which is in power at the Centre. So, all three needed to be shown the door in the upcoming polls, she said.
She accused BJP of trying to implement "RSS agenda" in higher education institutions and playing "dirty tricks" for accomplishing this.

On issues like chanting of "Bharat Mata Ki Jai", Mayawati said an unnecessary controversy has been created and there are other ways to show patriotism.
"We in BSP say Jai Bheem and Jai Bharat. Some say Jai Hind. It's not necessary to chant Bharat Mata Ki Jai, for which BJP is making a big hue and cry," she said.
The BSP chief said law and order and development would be the main focus of her government if her party was voted to power and "decisions taken by the present government on the basis of caste will be reviewed and action taken accordingly".

"The law and order situation in the state at present is in a shambles as criminals are ruling the roost. If BSP comes to power, these criminals would be put in jail by launching a campaign," she said.
Mayawati also said all schemes and policies implemented by the SP government would be reviewed if BSP formed its government.