Mayawati calls Modi, Amit Shah guru-chela'

New Delhi: Continuing with her war of words against the BJP, BSP supremo Mayawati on Saturday branded Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah as “guru-chela” and claimed that they were “dreaming of harming” Uttar Pradesh.

Ms Mayawati was replying to barbs by BJP leaders referring to her and chief minister Akhilesh Yadav as “bua-bhatija” (aunt and nephew) during campaigning.

“Guru and chela have together harmed the country (guru means Mr Modi and chela means Mr Shah). Now, they together are dreaming of harming the state,” she said at an election rally in Deoria in Uttar Pradesh.

“There is no other Kasab (meaning terrorist) bigger than the BJP president. Gujarat is an example before you to see and ensure that this Kasab does not come (to power) here,” she said, referring to Mr Shah’s ‘KASAB’ acronym for the Congress, SP and BSP. “Muslims need to vote en masse for the BSP, whose dalit vote is intact and is ready to defeat the BJP. If Muslims vote for the BSP, the BJP will get a setback and it will not be able to come to power in the state,” the BSP chief said.

Minorities, especially Muslims, are being given “stepmotherly treatment”, Ms Mayawati  said, cautioning Muslims against voting for the SP. She also alleged that BJP will “end reservation by following the RSS agenda” or will make it ineffective.

On BJP’s promise that the party would bring prosperity on coming to power in the state, Ms Mayawati said, “After petty politics on slaughterhouses... they are now promising doodh aur ghee ki nadi (river of milk and ghee).”