BSP chief Mayawati trains guns at BJP, plays Dalit-Muslim card

AGRA: BSP chief Mayawati on Sunday launched her party’s campaign for the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections at a rally here, where her focus was more on attacking the BJP and playing the Dalit and minority cards.

With an eye on stitching a Muslim-Dalit camaraderie, Mayawati raised the recent attacks on Dalits in Gujarat and elsewhere and also said communal forces were gaining ground under the BJP rule. “Cow vigilantism, love jihad, nationalism and reconversion-related issues are raised to instill fear among minorities, especially Muslims,” she alleged.

Alleging that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's promise of “Achchhe din” (good days) has turned out to be “bure din' (had days) for the common man, Mayawati came down heavily against the 'nationalism' sloganeering of the BJP suggesting it as a ploy to demoralise Muslims and cover up for the central government's alleged failure.

"Now, national functions are being politicised ... the claims of the PM's achievements are so far from reality on the ground that the BJP has been left far behind its dream to come to power in Lucknow ... they may now go to any extent to cover up for their failure. People are saying that they can even go to war on the pretext of terrorism or Kashmir. That's why this championing of nationalism and 'Tiranga Yatras'," Mayawati alleged.

Mayawati took a dig at RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat for his reported remarks over the number of children Hindus should produce.

"Now the RSS chief is appealing for giving birth to more Hindu children. Instead, he should suggest the Narendra Modi government about ensuring two square meals for every child," she said in response to Bhagwat's remarks, reportedly made here on Saturday. The BSP chief attacked BJP's Dalit outreach programme and sought to consolidate her party's traditional support base in the community.

"Making announcements of memorials for Babasaheb Ambedkar or having meals in Dalit households like what Congress tried in the past is not going to benefit (the BJP) ... Dalits do not need the sympathy of BJP or Narendra Modi but seek solid legal actions ..," Mayawati said.

‘5th CM term for Behen’ slogan cheers crowd
While Mayawati remains the sole crowd puller for the BSP, her first rally at Agra on Sunday revealed the one phrase that appeared potent to cheer up the crowd even as it awaited her. A reference to "5th CM term for Behen Mayawati" by BSP's newly elected Rajya Sabha member Ashok Siddharth evoked such a huge response from the crowd that all subsequent speakers started referring to it cheer up the crowd which otherwise appeared bored waiting for Mayawati. Her presence itself was sufficient to electrify BSP supporters that waited for her for hours in the humid and hot Agra weather.