Rahul Gandhi launches harshest attack on Mayawati, puts to rest alliance talks

LUCKNOW: All talk about a possible BSP and Congress alliance for the Uttar Pradesh assembly polls next year was put to rest by the Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi on Thursday when he tore into Mayawati for failing to meet Dalit aspirations and stifling the emergence of a second generation of Dalit leaders.
Gandhi who was in Lucknow to attend his party's Dalit conclave, said that there was a difference between BSP founder Kanshi Ram and the present BSP chief Mayawati. "Kanshi Ram ji did tremendous work for Dalit upliftment and political power for the community. But the platform he created and handed over to Mayawati was not used by her for furthering the cause.

Mayawati did not allow a Dalit leadership to emerge apart form herself. If Mayawati had allowed a new generation of Dalit leaders to emerge and not been afraid of young Dalit leaders, the community would have been truly empowered. I have met Dalit youth and they say Maywati does not share power with fellow Dalits and are disillusioned with her" said Gandhi.

There has been some speculation about a BSP-Congress alliance ahead of the 2017 assembly polls, but with Gandhi tearing into Mayawati, the possibility seems remote now.

He said that the situation gave an opportunity to the Congress to reach out to the community and share power with it. "I want to assure that we not only welcome but will also share power with our Dalit youth. We know they have not yet been truly empowered" Gandhi said.

This was Rahul Gandhi harshest criticism of Mayawati till now and spells the death knell of any tie up between the two parties for the 2017 UP assembly polls.

Gandhi said that today there is a fight between RSS and Congress. He said that it was the union government which caused the death of Hyderabad University scholar Rohith Vemula which has a staunch RSS follower as its Vice Chancellor. He said that the BJP government was turning the education and health sector into a business. "Even in Gujarat where BJP has ruled for many years, the Patel community says they have been denied fruits of the education sector" said Gandhi.

Gandhi said that while Prime Minister Narendra Modi has a low opinion of MNREGA scheme started by the previous UPA government his Finance Minister Arun Jaitley tells him in private that it is one of the best such schemes across the globe.