I know how to survive tough times, says Mayawati

“Opposition parties have tried to bribe, threaten and drag the good name of Bahujan Samaj Party workers for many decades, but could not take away the devotion of our workers,” said party supremo and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati. She was addressing the North zone convention of the party here on Sunday.

Asserting that the BSP was the only party that worked for the welfare of the poor, she said all others worked only for rich industrialists and business houses who fund their activities.

Ms. Mayawati added that despite pro-poor policies adopted by her government in Uttar Pradesh, the Opposition parties hinder development plans by taking welfare schemes to courts.

Accusing its political opponents of hatching conspiracies to weaken the party, she said Opposition parties dragged her name to court through fraud scams and the Congress conspired and troubled her through the Central Bureau of Investigation in an alleged disproportionate assets case.

“But I will not kneel down before them. I will ensure that the dreams of Babasaheb Ambedekar and Kanshi Ram see the light of the day.”

“After the BSP came to power in Uttar Pradesh, Opposition parties with caste-based mindset tried to inflate minor incidents to make the party unstable…However, I did not come to power like other political leaders who inherited their positions. I know how to survive tough times,” she said.

The BSP chief blamed the Congress for the recent farmers' protests demanding higher compensation for their lands. “The Congress was responsible for the demonstrations by the peasantry. We have always advocated a uniform land acquisition policy for the entire country. We will raise the issue in Parliament,” she said.

Capacity crowd

Thousands of BSP leaders and workers from Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir were present at the rally ground, which was filled to capacity despite the scorching heat.

Castigates Congress

PTI reports:

Ms. Mayawati also alleged that the wrong economic policies of the Congress governments since Independence were responsible for the poverty and unemployment in the country. “The Centre's various programmes have miserably failed in removing poverty from the country.”

She demanded an amendment to the law framed to list Below Poverty Line (BPL) families so that the maximum number of people can get benefits under various schemes meant for them.

The BSP chief castigated the Congress-led UPA government for various scams plaguing the country and claimed that the money collected through corrupt means was being kept in foreign banks.

While listing the development agenda of the Uttar Pradesh government, she appealed to the people to bring the BSP to power in other States too.

“If you want to get rid of all problems then bring the BSP to power,” she said, obviously referring to the Assembly polls in Punjab early next year.

Exuding confidence that the BSP would do well in the polls, Ms. Mayawati said the party would contest the polls in Punjab independently. “People from all sections of society will be given the party ticket,” she added. 

The Hindu