BJP raking up Ram Mandir issue for UP polls, says Mayawati

Alleging that BJP and RSS are raking up the issue of Ram temple as the assembly elections are drawing closer in Uttar Pradesh, BSP chief, Mayawati on Friday said that the people’s first priority is a government that can restore law and order in the state and not the construction of the temple. Addressing a press conference at BSP state headquarters on her 60th birthday, she said: “BJP, RSS and other Hindutva organisations are flaring communal passions. They are raising the issue of building Ram Temple, though the matter is pending before the Supreme Court. But I would tell the people of UP that, not Ram temple, but getting rid of SP government’s poor law and order and jungleraj is a bigger priority”. She said that people first need a government which can work for a better administration and ensure the security of their lives, property and religion. Mayawati said there is an atmosphere of chaos in the country because of BJP’s mindset to let loose the communal elements and to consider them above law. She said peace-loving Indians and intellectuals are worried. Mayawati said BJP talks of following the ideologies of MK Gandhi, Jayaprakash Narayan and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel while celebrating their birth anniversaries, but it forgets these leaders never said that a party should not fulfill its promises made during election. “Gandhi, Narayan and Patel never said that discrimination should be meted out to Muslims and other religious minorities, or they should be treated with hatred. But this is happening under BJP regime,” she said. Mayawati said BJP is wooing Dalits in the name of celebrating BR Ambedkar’s 125 birth anniversary. “But only building one or two museums in the name of Ambedkar will not win the support of his followers, unless BJP does something concrete for them,” she said. She also added that the government should provide reservation to these sections in private sector, pass the pending constitutional amendment bill for reservation in promotion for SC/ST public sector employees, and make provisions for reservation to SCs who have converted to Islam, Christianity, Sikhism or Buddhism. Mayawati said nine out of 15 prime ministers in the country have represented UP, but the state has not been given any special attention for development. She said Modi has neglected the whole of UP except for his constituency, Varanasi. She said now that the UP assembly elections are drawing closer, the PM and union ministers will come to the state to give empty assurances and lay the foundation stones, as they did in Bihar before the Assembly elections. But all these works will be put in the cold storage after the elections, she said. Mayawati said people with casteist mindset will never want a Dalit’s daughter go up in politics, business or service. These people often try to defame by getting Dalit leaders expelled from my party to make statements that Mayawati is not Dalit ki Beti (Dalit’s daughter) but Daulat ki Beti(wealth’s daughter), she said. Mayawati said her supporters don’t get affected by this because they know if she is financially powerful, she will not have to spread hands before anyone in adverse conditions. She said her followers and well-wishers have often supported her financially and she has given the account of all that money to Income Tax department. She released the eleventh edition of her book, A travelogue of my struggle-Ridden life and BSP movement. Lohia Would Have Removed Mulayam from the List of Socialists Claiming that there is a stark difference between Samajwadi Party’s socialism and Ram Manohar Lohia’s socialism, Mayawati said if Lohia had seen the “royal” celebration of SP president, Mulayam Singh Yadav’s birthday with the spending of crores of rupees of government money, the late leader would have removed him from the list of socialists. She said Mulayam’s birthday was celebrated with state’s money in a grand manner by going completely opposite to the ideas of Lohia. Mulayam’s statement that Lohia would have been happy to see his birthday celebration is not true, and if Lohia had seen this royal celebration with government money, he would have removed the name of Mulayam from the list of socialists, Mayawati said. Mayawati said the discrimination against Dalits and disrespect to Dalit icons would not have taken place under Lohia’s socialism.   Indian Express