Their benami property should be probed: Mayawati attacks BJP over raids on brother

Lucknow: Infuriated over the Income Tax Department's action against her brother and BSP vice president Anand Kumar, party chief Mayawati on Friday dubbed the RSS and BJP as casteist organizations, alleging that they do not want people from Dalit and tribal communities to prosper.

The former Uttar Pradesh chief minister also accused the ruling BJP of hoarding unaccounted money for election expenses.

"There is no doubt that at present BJP and RSS are the most casteist organisation in the country. They don't want to see Dalits, tribals and people from backward class to do better. For this, they are using different tactics but still, our party is fighting in the whole country for social, political and financial democracy," Mayawati asserted.

Alleging that BJP used black money to lure voters, Mayawati demanded a probe into their transactions.

"During elections over 2000 crore rupees have come to BJP's accounts but till now the party has not revealed the source of it. Is this not a Benami property? In the recently concluded Lok Sabha election they have used the money to purchase votes of poor and labourers," she said.

"The Benami property in their bank accounts should also be probed and the people of the country should get to know about it," the BSP supremo demanded.

Mayawati also questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah and charged them of purchasing properties worth crores. "I believe when all this will be revealed there attempt to silence the voice of downtrodden will fail," Mayawati affirmed.

She also demanded an investigation into the wealth and income of BJP office bearers.

Issuing a stern warning to the BJP and the RSS, Mayawati said she will continue to fight for the cause of Dalits and tribals.

"This is my clear warning to people of BJP and RSS that no matter how many tactics they use we are not going to bow down and will keep fighting. I want to say that these tactics of discouraging Dalits, tribals and other backward castes people from becoming financially strong will be strongly fought by me and my party," she said.

Mayawati also accused the BJP of minimising government job reservation benefits to SC/STs and OBCs by privatising major job-sectors.

"This time in their budget they have made it clear that the railway department, in which these communities get maximum employment, will be given to private companies. Through this privatisation they want to end the reservation in these sectors," Mayawati alleged.

On Thursday, the Income Tax Department had attached seven acres of land in Noida belonging to Mayawati's brother Anand Kumar and his wife Vichiter Lata in a high-value properties case. The book value of the property attached is estimated to be around Rs 400 crore, sources in the department said.

The I-T Department is investigating a case against the couple regarding high-value properties in New Delhi and Noida and investment in companies promoted by them. The two are said to be directors in one and half dozen companies.