Modi spoke of Ambedkar, but his mindset is opposite, says Mayawati

Alleging that the ruling BJP was using the name of Babasaheb Ambedkar to gain political mileage, BSP supremo Mayawati said the saffron party, in its 4 and a half years of governance, did only drama, especially towards Dalits. Smarting from the recent setback in the Rajya Sabha elections, where the party failed to send its lone candidate into the House, Mayawati also trained her guns at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for invoking the name of the Father of the Constitution during his monthly Mann ki Baat programme on Sunday.

“In the 4.5 years of governance, BJP did only done drama, especially towards Dalits. Modi ji spoke of BR Ambedkar in Mann ki Baat, but his mindset is stark opposite of what Babasaheb stood for. That is the reason BJP-RSS was kept out of power in the past decades,” ANI quoted the BSP chief as saying. Mayawati also held a meeting with zonal coordinators at party headquarters in Lucknow. During his 42nd Mann ki Baat radio programme, the PM had said Ambedkar showed us that to succeed it was not necessary to be born in an illustrious or rich family and added that he was an example of Ambedkar’s philosophy.

Continuing her tirade against the Centre over oppressing those belonging Dalit community, Mayawati said the true face of the BJP had emerged after it fielded an extra candidate, leading to the defeat of BSP’s nominee. “They chant Ambedkar’s name but oppress those belonging to the category. It’s evident from the fact when Bhim Rao Ambedkar (BSP) was made to lose when BJP introduced an extra seat. BSP-SP didn’t come together to fulfill selfish needs but to stand against BJP’s misrule,” she said.

On Friday, the BSP’s Bhimrao Ambedkar lost despite the support of SP as well as Congress MLAs. Mayawati on Saturday suspended her MLA Anil Singh, who had cross-voted, and accused the BJP of indulging in horse-trading. However, the BSP supremo has maintained that her alliance with the Samajwadi Party would continue until 2019 Lok Sabha elections. “The results of Rajya Sabha won’t make an iota of difference to the proximity that has developed between the SP and BSP,” she had said.

Mayawati’s remarks come at a time when the government is in a dilemma over whether to file a review petition against the Supreme Court’s verdict diluting punitive provisions of the SC & ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.