Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati. File
| Photo Credit: ANI

Ahead of the Assembly elections in Haryana, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati on Monday (September 23, 2024) urged Dalit leaders to sever ties with the Congress and other “casteist parties” and follow the path laid down by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar.

The comments come amid attempts by the alliance of the BSP and the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) to position itself as a pro-Dalit alternative in Haryana.

In a series of posts on X, the former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister accused the Congress and other “casteist parties” of using Dalit leaders only in times of trouble and later marginalising them.

Haryana Assembly elections | An overview of the field ahead of the polls

She said in Hindi, “The political developments in the country so far have proven that the Congress and other casteist parties only remember Dalits during their bad days and appoint them as Chief Ministers or to other key organisational positions temporarily. But, in their good days, these parties mostly sideline Dalits and replace them with casteist individuals, as is currently being witnessed in Haryana,” she added.

Mayawati also called on Dalit leaders to take inspiration from Ambedkar and distance themselves from such parties. “These humiliated Dalit leaders should be inspired by their messiah, Baba Saheb Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar and detach themselves from these parties. They should also work to keep their communities away from these parties,” she said.

Drawing a parallel with Ambedkar’s resignation from the Central Government, Mayawati invoked her own decision to resign from the Rajya Sabha in 2017 over the violence against Dalits in Saharanpur.

“Baba Saheb Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar resigned from the post of Union Law Minister for the sake of self-respect and dignity of the weaker sections. Inspired by him, I also resigned from the Rajya Sabha when I wasn’t allowed to speak on the atrocities against Dalits in Saharanpur. Hence, I advise Dalits to follow in his footsteps,” she said.

Mayawati also accused the Congress of being “historically opposed” to reservation for Dalits and other backward communities.

Targeting Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, she said, “The Congress and other casteist parties have always been against reservation. LoP Rahul Gandhi even went abroad and announced the intention to abolish reservation. People should remain cautious of such anti-Constitution, anti-reservation and anti-SC, ST, OBC parties.”

Elections to the 90-member Haryana Assembly will be held on October 5 and the results declared on October 8.

Lucknow:

BSP supremo Mayawati on Thursday said incidents of crime against women were “extremely worrying”, and asked political parties to rise above party politics and take “strict steps” to prevent them.

Her remarks come against the backdrop of the nationwide outcry over the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata and also cases of rape of girls in other parts of the country.

“The incidents of rape, murder and suicide, especially of innocent girls and women, happening in Bengal, Badlapur in Maharashtra, Bihar, and Kannauj, Agra and Farrukhabad districts of Uttar Pradesh are extremely sad and worrying,” the former chief minister said on X.

1. देश में कभी बंगाल, कभी महाराष्ट्र के बदलापुर, कभी बिहार में तो कभी यूपी के कन्नौज, आगरा व फर्रूखाबाद ज़िले आदि में भी मासूम बच्चियों नाबालिग़ व महिलाओं पर ख़ासकर रेप, हत्या व आत्महत्या आदि की हो रही घटनाएं अति-दुःखद व चिन्ताजनक। 1/2

— Mayawati (@Mayawati) August 29, 2024

“The Centre and all state governments should rise above party politics and take strict steps in this matter so that such incidents stop happening. Politics should not be done in its guise. This is the need of the hour and also in the interest of women,” she added.

2. केन्द्र व सभी राज्य सरकारें, इस मामले में दलगत राजनीति से ऊपर उठकर सख़्त कदम उठाएं, ताकि ऐसी घटनायें जल्दी होना बन्द हो, ना कि इसकी आड़ में राजनीति की जाए, यही समय की मांग है तथा यही महिलाओं के हित में भी है। 2/2

— Mayawati (@Mayawati) August 29, 2024

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Lucknow:

Mayawati was unanimously re-elected as the national president of the BSP, the party said here on Tuesday.

The decision was taken during a special meeting of the BSP Central Executive Committee (CEC) and senior national-level office bearers and state party units and representatives selected from all over the country, it said.

Mayawati, 68, is a four-time former chief minister of Uttar Pradesh. BSP founder Kanshi Ram had declared her as his political successor over two decades ago.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)