Maya calls Bapu 'natakbaaz', Cong seeks apology

NEW DELHI: Congress on Monday drew Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mayawati into a fresh fight accusing her of denigrating the legacy of Mahatma Gandhi and directed its state unit to organise protests against her ���abusive��� remarks. ���Mayawati must apologise to the nation for her atrocious words against the Mahatma,��� party general secretary Digvijay Singh told reporters.

According to an agency report from Lucknow, Mayawati, while addressing a meeting of MPs and legislators of the BSP on Saturday, called the Father of the Nation a ���natakbaaz��� (fake). She also distributed pamphlets condemning both Gandhi and Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi for being insincere about the improvement in socio-economic status of Dalits.

The attack drew an angry rebuttal from Digvijay Singh. ���It is Congress which has been responsible for everything done to improve the lot of Dalits ��� starting from Babasaheb Ambedkar���s appointment as chairman of the Constitution drafting committee to reservations for Scheduled Castes,��� he added. Singh, in-charge of party affairs in UP,directed the state leadership to organise protests against the CM and demand that she take back her words.

The BSP leader had reportedly said that the Mahatma���s contributions towards dalit uplift had been overhyped . She rejected his initiatives in this regard as nothing but ���melodrama��� .

Sensing an opportunity after its impressive showing in the Lok Sabha election in UP, Congress is clearly spoiling for a fight with Mayawati over the dalit landscape.

The party has decided to organise ���goodwill��� meetings and community lunch in every area of UP on June 19 ��� party general secretary Rahul Gandhi���s birthday. The idea, according to Singh, is to reach out to Dalits by eating together. Singh will participate in the programme somewhere in western UP on the outskirts of Delhi.