BSP supremo Mayawati on Wednesday reacted with anguish in the Rajya Sabha to the derogatory comment against her by the BJP’s Uttar Pradesh vice-president Dayashankar Singh, saying “his remarks are for his sister and his daughter.” Accusing the BJP of having a “capitalist” mindset, she said that “the country will not forgive the BJP for encouraging such people”.
“The House members know that after the death of Babasaheb Ambedkar, Kanshi Ramji carried forward his movement for dalits. He then gave this responsibility to me and urged that I should not become a householder. I did not marry and considered the entire country’s oppressed as my family,” said Ms Mayawati.
She added: “I have always followed the advice of my mentor Kanshi Ram to take money (for the party) from the poor and underprivileged but not from rich capitalists. This also perturbs the BJP.”
“On my birthday, I have told my supporters not to give me any expensive gifts like gold and jewellery, but to make economic contributions to the party. My birthday is celebrated as ‘arthik divas’,” she said.
Warning the government of a possible movement in the aftermath of the comments, she said: “I have been a member of the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha. I have been the CM of UP four times but never have I used derogatory language for anyone. That is not my character. It should be a battle of ideas.” She added: “The country will not forgive the BJP... People will come on the streets and the Centre, not the BSP, will be responsible for that.”
The BSP chief said she represented the most oppressed and exploited people of the country and had dedicated her whole life to them. Ms Mayawati said the BJP was jittery and its anti-dalit mindset had been exposed as it has still not sacked a minister who had earlier compared dalits to dogs, an apparent reference to minister of state V.K. Singh.
