Mayawati slams BJP, says Center has distressed all sections

Lucknow: Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati on Saturday hit out at the BJP, and claimed that the Brahmin community is vocally protesting its neglect, insecurity and disrespect, a fact that is being discussed nationwide.

Addressing a meeting of party workers, Mayawati said, it appears that the policies and actions of the BJP government have deeply distressed all the sections of society, except a handful of individuals, whose self-interests are served in every way.

“However, the Brahmin community is vocally protesting its neglect (‘upeksha’), insecurity (‘asuraksha’) and disrespect (‘asamman’), a fact that is being discussed nationwide. The BJP appears to be somewhat uneasy and concerned about its impact,” she said. The former chief minister of Uttar Pradesh went on to say that the real point to consider here is whether any other party or government has given the upper castes, especially the Brahmin community, the same respect, position, and security that the BSP chief has given them at both the party and government levels.

Mayawati’s remarks assume importance as they come barely days after Lucknow Police, on the directives of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, registered an FIR against the director of the upcoming film ‘Ghooskhor Pandat’, whose teaser has been released recently. The action was taken on the charges of spreading social animosity, hurting religious and caste sentiments and attempting to disrupt public peace, the state government had said in a statement on Friday.

The case was registered at the Hazratganj police station late on Thursday night, the police said. Mayawati held a special meeting here on Saturday with all the senior and junior office-bearers of the party’s Uttar Pradesh unit, from the state, divisional, district, and assembly levels, to discuss the upcoming assembly elections, the BSP said in a statement.

In the meeting, she said that the party’s principle and policy have always been “for the welfare and happiness of all”, and by strictly implementing the rule of law, the welfare of all has been ensured in the state.

She said that the interests of all sections of society have been and will continue to be safe only with the BSP, while the thoughts, policies, and actions of most opposition parties have been narrow-minded, casteist, communal, pro-rich capitalist, and anti-poor. Taking an apparent dig at the ruling BJP, the former chief minister said, “Due to their lack of genuine intentions, the recent UGC rules have become a new cause of social tension instead of promoting social harmony.”

Referring to the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in the state, she said that, as the state government has expressed concern about it, the solution is to instruct officials at all levels to provide full cooperation to people in getting their names included in the voter list.

She also said that the current budget session of Parliament is also plagued by adjournments, suspensions, and boycotts due to intense politics and confrontation between the government and the opposition.