Mayawati accuses Samajwadi Party of "anti-Dalit-bias," urges UP govt to relocate BSP office for security reasons

Jan 08, 2024

New Delhi [India], January 8 : Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati launched a scathing attack on the Samajwadi Party (SP), accusing it of harbouring a "deep-seated anti-Dalit bias."
Citing their past alliance and its dissolution, Mayawati alleged that the SP's true colours as an "anti-Dalit party" resurfaced after the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
"Who can forget the blessings given by the then-SP chief to the BJP before and after winning the parliamentary elections? And then how can the public forget the meeting of the SP leadership with their leadership when the BJP government is formed? In such a situation, it would be appropriate if SP fights communal forces," BSP Chief Mayawati posted on X.
"SP is not only a very backward party but also a very anti-Dalit party, although BSP, by forming an alliance with SP in the last Lok Sabha general elections, tried to change their anti-Dalit tactics, character and face. But after the elections were over, SP again came back to its anti-Dalit casteist agenda," BSP Chief posted on X.
Highlighting specific incidents she deemed anti-Dalit, Mayawati pointed to the incident of June 2, 1995, a date linked to the alleged killing of Dalit protestors in Lucknow.
"And now, whoever the SP chief talks about an alliance with, his first condition is to maintain distance from the BSP, which is also widely publicised by the media. Anyway, given SP's heinous acts, including those of June 2, 1995, and how many anti-Dalit decisions have been taken during their government," she further posted on X.
Additionally, she criticised various "anti-Dalit decisions" taken during past SP governments.
Perhaps the most critical allegation concerns the construction of a "high bridge" near the BSP state office in Lucknow. BSP chief Mayawati claimed this poses a security threat, enabling "conspiratorial anarchist elements" to potentially harm the party, its employees, and herself. Consequently, the BSP was forced to move statues of important figures from the office to Mayawati's residence for safety.
"The act of building a high bridge near the BSP UP state office is also done from where the conspiratorial anarchist elements can cause harm to the party office, employees and the national chief, due to which the party has to remove the statues of great men from there and place them at the residence of the party chief."
Mayawati revealed that most party meetings now take place at her residence due to security concerns. Even larger meetings held at the office require additional security personnel to be deployed around the bridge.
BSP chief Mayawati made a "special request" to the Uttar Pradesh government to relocate to find a safer place for the BSP state office, fearing "any untoward incident" could occur at the current location.
"Also, given this insecurity, on security suggestions, the party chief is now forced to hold most of the party meetings at his residence, whereas in the big meetings held at the party office, when the party chief reaches there, there are security personnel on the bridge. Additional deployment has to be made. In such a situation, the BSP also makes a special request to the UP government to make arrangements at a safer place instead of the current party state office; otherwise, any untoward incident can happen here at any time. Besides, the party also demands that the government deal strictly with anti-Dalit elements," Mayawari posted