Uttar Pradesh: Brahmin meets have rattled BJP, other BSP rivals, says Mayawati

LUCKNOW: BSP chief Mayawati has hit out at BJP for referring to her party’s ‘Prabuddha sammelan’ as ‘jatiwad’ or casteist, saying these meetings where the party is interacting with Brahmins have rattled the ruling party as well as the Opposition.
Referring to a Twitter campaign by BJP questioningd the need for BSP to hold casteist ‘sammelans’ at this point instead of helping people affected by floods in the state, the BSP chief on Monday asked BJP why it had started ‘ashirwaad yatras’ in the state instead of providing relief to people. Terming BJP’s bid to play politics over flood situation as ‘despicable’, Mayawati said that instead of advising the BSP what it should be doing, BJP should focus on helping the flood-hit as aerial surveys by chief minister Yogi Adityanath would not help.
She accused BJP of trying to derail the BSP’s meetings by detaining party workers and withdrawing permission due to alleged violation of Covid-19 protocols.
“These people should know that BSP’s cadre was the first to come forward to help people during the pandemic. We are also helping flood affected people. The BJP is playing horrible politics in the name of floods. This is shameful,” she said.
She said, “It is worth thinking why BJP was starting ‘jan ashirwad yatra’. It would have been better had BJP taken out a flood victims’ assistance ‘yatra.”
The CM’s aerial reviews were good for visuals, but relief material was actually not reaching victims.
“They take out their ‘yatra’ whenever they want, but when the BSP holds the ‘prabuddh sammelan’ or other programmes, they start quoting the flood situation. This is the double faced character of the BJP. It will also be worth seeing to what extent the government will be able to implement Covid appropriate behaviour during these ‘yatras’ as it is still trying to stall our programmes even though the BSP is careful about following all Covid rules,” she said.
In a word of advice to BJP workers, she asked them to let the party leaders know that such tactics would be detrimental for the party and people would give a befitting reply to this during the 2022 assembly polls. “It is clear that the BSP’s ‘prabuddha sammelan’ has made the BJP nervous. But such actions will not benefit the BJP. BSP workers should prepare to give the BJP a befitting reply by strengthening the organisation and following Covid protocols and by making all our programmes a success,” she added.