Mayawati Says She Will Continue to Set up Dalit Memorials

Training guns at her political opponents and critics, a defiant Uttar Pradesh chief minister and BSP supremo Mayawati has said that she will ‘not buckle under pressure’ and go on constructing parks and memorials to commemorate Dalit icons, reported IANS.

“We have been constructing parks and memorials in the names of important Dalit and OBC (Other Backward Classes) personalities to give due respect to them,” Mayawati was quoted as saying while addressing a gathering on Dalit icon BR Ambedkar’s birth anniversary.

“It’s just the lackadaisical approach of the Congress party and other political opponents towards Dalit and OBC personalities that prompted BSP to take up construction of parks, memorials and statues in their remembrance. Come what way we will not buckle under pressure and continue to take up such projects,” she was quoted as saying.

Mayawati, who has drawn sharp criticism for splurging thousands of crores to erect memorials and statues dedicated to Dalit leaders including herself, blamed the Congress-led UPA government of overlooking Dalis, report said.

“The Congress party’s anti-Dalit mindset can be gauged from the fact that even after ruling at the centre for nearly 50 years, the party not even once advocated conferring the Bharat Ratna upon BR Ambedkar, the architect of the Indian constitution,” she was quoted as saying.

“Likewise, the Congress never did anything substantial while it ruled the state (Uttar Pradesh) for nearly 38 years. This all reflects that the Congress actually has never bothered to take up issues related to Dalits or OBCs,” she was quoted as saying.

On Women Reservation Bill, she reiterated her party’s opposition to it terming it as anti-Dalit which would not help women from poorer sections of society, said report.

“We are against the women’s reservation bill in its present form as it will not help poor women irrespective of their community,” she was quoted as saying and called up on her party activities to take part in Tuesday’s nationwide protest against the bill.

“The agitation is important for us. I will personally inspect the demonstrations in some districts of Uttar Pradesh,” Mayawati was quoted as saying.