Mayawati says Akhilesh Yadav trying to manipulate Dalit voters in name of Kanshiram

LUCKNOW: Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati on Sunday hit out at the Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party for trying to manipulate Dalit voters in the name of Kanshiram . She said: "This is Samajwadi Party's new political posturing."
"But the long history that the party has, of being ungrateful to 'Manyawar Kanshiram ji' and its caste-driven hatred and malice towards Dalits and their icons is known to all, she said.
"It was because of the attitude of Samajwadi Party that the guest house incident happened in 1995 and the alliance between SP and BSP broke. Had SP worked on the vision and mission of Kanshiram ji the two parties would have been ruling the state and the country today. But it is the BJP that has benefited out of this attitude of SP, the most", the BSP chief said.
She said that Samajwadi Party is working to weaken BSP. "If SP was serious about Dalit rights, it would not have opposed the bill on reservation in promotions at the centre. The party has also shown enough disrespect to Dalit saints and icons."
"The Akhilesh Yadav government renamed Bhimrao Ambedkar Park, Sant Ravidas nagar, Manyawar Shri Kanshiram Ji Nagar and Manyawar Shri Kanshiram Ji Urdu-Arabi Farsi University. If this was not enough, Akhilesh Yadav's father, Mulayam Singh Yadav did not declare state mourning on Kanshiram's death for even a single day. He did not even pay his tributes", she said.