Mayawati smears BJP’s nationalist claims with anti-dalit brush

NEW DELHI: BSP chief Mayawati and her handful of MPs scuttled the ruling party’s attempt to club the debate on ‘discrimination against Dalit students’ in central institutions with ‘sedition’ in central institutions, even as the Congress and Left remained spectators in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.

After the Congress and Left agreed to the BJP-led government’s suggestion for a combined discussion on the recent incidents in the Hyderabad Central University and JNU, Mayawati marshalled her MPs to ensure RS proceedings were adjourned, while turning the spotlight on the suicide of Dalit research scholar Rohith Vemula. Even HRD minister Smriti Irani’s bid to puncture Mayawati’s political signalling to Dalit audience across the country failed to deter the Dalit leader from relenting. “Who uses a child as a political tool? Who uses a child for their own political profit? Who uses a dead child to play a political strategy? Not only in this House, but across the nation, let everybody hear it today,” Irani retorted to BSP MPs disruptions in the morning that forced Mayawati to join her flock into the well of the Rajya Sabha to disrupt proceedings.

But Mayawati stuck to her charge against the BJP, the RSS and Modi on alleged discrimination against Dalit students. “Mayawatiji, I am ready to reply. If you are not satisfied with my answer, I will cut my head and put it at your feet,” Smriti said but it was lost in the din created by the slogan shouting of BSP members who had trooped into the well.