Saffron brigade trying to declare India Hindu rashtra: Mayawati

Lucknow: Stressing that fundamentalists have been emboldened ever since SP and BJP came to power in the state and at the Centre, BSP chief Mayawati today cautioned people against the saffron brigade's efforts to declare India a 'Hindu rashtra' "where their interest will not be safe".

"Fundamentalists and communal forces have been emboldened ever since the SP and BJP government came to power in Uttar Pradesh and at the Centre," she said at a function on the death anniversary of BSP founder Kanshi Ram.

Sounding a warning note to her electorate, Mayawati claimed that after coming to power, BJP and its associates have been moving about propagating that they want to make the country a Hindu rashtra.

"The Constitution has taken care that people of all religions live in the country and so the country has not been accorded the status of Hindu rashtra...if BJP and RSS turn it into a Hindu rashtra, I want to tell Dalits and adivasis that their interests will not be safe," Mayawati stressed.

Attacking the RSS, Mayawati said there is a move to end the quota facility for the downtrodden given by the Constitution under the garb of reviewing reservation and warned of a nation-wide agitation against it if the Centre goes ahead with it.

"Mayawati will not stay silent...if such a thing happens she will lead the agitation herself...you should all remain prepared for it," she said.

Attacking the Centre, Mayawati said that under the NDA rule, Muslims and secular people have started feeling insecure as BJP leaders and MPs have been going about flouting the Constitution.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi has, however, not taken any action against his ministers and MPs who are saying such things and this is most condemnable...several writers have been killed and some others have returned their coveted awards," she said, adding such communal forces have stalled the programme of famous Pakistani singer Ghulam Ali in India.

"I want to assure you all that once the BSP government comes to power in the state, it will invite Ghulam Ali and create an atmosphere of communal amity," she said.

Criticizing the Maharashtra government for allowing auto richshaw permits only to Maharashtrians, she asked whether UP will ever tolerate such discrimination with their people who have gone there to earn livelihood.

On Modi's statement in Bihar to desist from issuing inciting statements after the Dadri incident, Mayawati said the prime minister was forced to say this after the President and Vice President went public.

"But this is only a political statement and there is not an iota of truth in it," she said.

On SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav's statement terming the Dadri incident as a conspiracy, she said these statements will not stop such incidents from taking place unless stern action is not taken against the culprits and putting Azam Khan in the front by raising the matter in the UN will not serve any purpose.

"His government should take stern legal action against the conspirators to check these incidents," she said alleging that BJP and Samajwadi Party are together in it.

"SP has remained silent to the effort of BJP and its supporting outfits fanning communal passions and not taken action against them," she said, adding that its latest example is that no action has been taken on Muzaffarnagar riots report submitted recently to save BJP leaders found involved in it.

"Simlalry no action has been taken against the BJP leaders and main accused in the Dadri incident," she said.

Questioning the issue and timing of the Dadri lynching incident, Mayawati alleged that it seems like BJP's move to take mileage in Bihar elections by polarising votes on Hindu-Muslim lines. "If it succeeds, it will come to power there," she said.

"The people of Uttar Pradesh should also remain vigilant of such a fundamentalist game being played under the garb of Hindutva culture," she said, warning that otherwise UP will also go Bihar way and lag behind in all areas.

"BJP is out to use differnt means to divide Muslims in UP and has already activated Muslim leader from Hyderabad Assaddudin Owaisi who is also being used in Bihar...," she said, adding that they can do the same for dividing votes of other sections of society.

Reiterating the demand for President Rule in the state on the issue of law and order, she claimed that the situation was so bad that a Dalit family in Noida had to protest in naked to seek justice.

She attacked the SP government for holding the first round of Panchayat polls in the state today on the death anniversary of Kanshi Ram to stop more people from coming here and alleged that it was also discriminating in extending monetary help to victims of criminal cases.

Mayawati took the opportunity to reiterate her innocence in the NRHM scam in which she was recently questioned by CBI.

"Earlier too this BJP government had tried to defame me by wrongly framing me in Taj corridor scam and now they are trying to do the same in NRHM case with which I have nothing to do," she added.