Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati on Monday took a dig at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his visit to violence-hit Parbhani in Maharashtra. She said he was going there only to shed crocodile tears and accused the Congress of historically adopting a casteist and contemptuous attitude toward Dalits and backward classes.
It made me write to X yesterday, Mayawati declared on Monday, "Fortune could not be worse. Fortunate incidents like Parbhani happened as a result of the disrespect/insult of the original architect of Indian Constitution, the most honored Babasaheb Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar and the feelings of inferiority towards crores of his followers, while establishing proofs that Congress and BJP cannot be their true well-wishers, and thereby flaw in everyone's intentions, policies.
Referring to Gandhi's visit, Mayawati said, "The Congress leader's visit today to Parbhani is nothing more than shedding crocodile tears because the Congress' attitude towards the interests and welfare of Babasaheb and his followers has always been casteist and contemptuous, both during his lifetime and after his death. They remember the Dalits and backward classes only in their bad times."
Rahul Gandhi will meet the bereaved families of 35-year-old Somnath Vyankat Suryawanshi, who was studying his LlB and another Dalit social worker Vijay Wakode, who suffered a heart attack and died while trying to bring the marauding mobs under control on December 11-12 during his brief visit to Parbhani.
The BSP chief demanded that a peaceful nationwide demonstration at district headquarters be undertaken for the withdrawal of alleged anti-Ambedkar remarks made in Parliament. "The entire society should unite and make these protests successful," she urged, cautioning against "deceptive politics" carried out in the name of Ambedkar.
Mayawati reaffirmed her commitment to the Ambedkarite mission of her party, saying, "The BSP self-respect movement seeks political empowerment for the 'Bahujan Samaj' while others are only mouthing it for political benefits. That is duplicitous- Ram on their lips but a knife under their arm."
The BSP has called for a nationwide agitation on December 24 against Home Minister Amit Shah's controversial remarks in Parliament about Dr Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar, whom they claim was disrespected by the statement.
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