Mayawati holds review meeting of BSP in Lucknow

Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati on Sunday held a review meeting of the party's Uttar Pradesh unit here and issued instructions to the leaders to remove shortcomings in functioning pointed out in earlier such meetings, according to a statement.

"The stand taken by the party chief vis-a-vis the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill was praised, and that there is positive discussion among people regarding the stand taken by the party," the statement issued by the BSP said.

On December 5, Mayawati had described the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill as "unconstitutional and divisive", and demanded that it be sent to a parliamentary committee for review.

"Citizenship in the name of religion and discrimination in the name of religion of the citizens through it is totally against the basic structure of the humanitarian and secular Constitution of Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar," she had said.

"Instead of forcing this bill, like demonetisation and GST, the central government should review it," she said.

"It should be sent to a parliamentary committee for better deliberations so that this bill could come before people in a proper manner that is in consonance with the Constitution," the BSP chief had said.

She also expressed concern over the incidents of rape, murders and the tendency to kill the women by setting them ablaze in UP and in the rest of the country, the BSP statement said.