Uttar Pradesh BJP has gone on offensive against the Bahujan Samaj Party president Mayawati over the violence during the ''Bharat Bandh'' on April 2 in which two people were killed in UP alleging that BSP was behind violence that was triggered for their vested political interest.
State Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya, in a statement here on Wednesday, alleged that BSP president Mayawati was behind the violence as she wanted political mileage from this arson and vandalism.
Demanding an apology from the BSP chief Maurya questioned the relevance of BSP agitation when the Centre had already filed a petition in the Supreme Court on the issue. "Mayawati should explain as why common people were attacked by BSP member on April 2. She cannot walk away by juist condemning the violence as BSP leaders and workers participated in the violence," the Deputy CM said.
Meanwhile, UP BJP president Mahendra Nath Pandey too blamed Mayawati for the violence and sought an apology from her. "When Mayawati was CM she issued an order on October 29, 2007 to stop misuse of SC/ST Act. When SC approved her Governments decision why she asked her party workers to unleash a terror on the streets,” he said in a separate statement.
Appealing to the Dalits not to get provoked by the BSP, he said that the BSP was trying to get political mileage through this incident.
BSP president Mayawati on April 2 had blamed the anti-social elements for the violence in the state.
She had commented that ''anti-social elements were behind the violence during the protests resulting in death of some people and damage to public property."
"I support the protest against the SC/ST Act. I have got to know that some people spread violence during the protests, I strongly condemn it. Our party is not behind the violence during the protests," Mayawati had clarified.