CM showering praise on Dalits

LUCKNOW: In perhaps the most emphatic reiteration of her core Dalit agenda in recent times, chief minister Mayawati said she was immensely proud of the Dalit community which stood solidly behind her over the years. With Congress, off late, trying hard to breach her Dalit base, Mayawati’s speech at a massive rally on Monday remained focused on Dalit reiteration and Congress bashing. She said that, in the past, several leaders had broken away from the party and it was thought that BSP would weaken but instead “our people never left us”.

After her famous speech in August, 2008, were she had spoken about her successor being from the Dalit community only, Ms Mayawati made her most vocal reiteration of Dalit ideology saying that she will “never let down Dalits”, trying to nip any speculation that the community’s interests were being overlooked by the BSP government.
Though for good measure the Dalit czarina pointed out that certain senior leaders have been specifically tasked with bringing the Brahmin, Thakur and Vaishya (Bania) communities closer to the party, it was pre-dominantly the Dalit agenda all the way at the rally.

Strangely though, she skipped mentioning Muslims in this series, which may have to do with the fact that the PWD minister Nassemuddin Siddiqui has been focusing on wooing the minorities into the party. Ms Mayawati also tried to clear the air over the fate of her confidante and party general secretary Satish Chandra Mishra, saying that political rivals were trying to portray that he has been cut to size, which she said, was far from the truth.