Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati
Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati on Wednesday hit out at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government at the Centre over its application in the Supreme Court regarding Ayodhya land. Mayawati said the government's plea urging the apex court to allow it to return the 'non-disputed' land to its original owners was out of 'frustration'.
Describing the plea as a step aimed at influencing the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister said it is BJP's latest poll gimmick.
"The step taken by the Central government on Tuesday is a blatant government interference and aimed at influencing the coming Lok Sabha elections against which people need to remain vigilant," Mayawati said in a statement.
"BJP is now feeling that it will not return to power at the Centre after the SP-BSP alliance in Uttar Pradesh and out of frustration both the BJP-led Central and state governments are doing what is least expected from an elected government working as per the Constitution," the former Uttar Pradesh CM said.
Mayawati said that after losing people's faith and earning a bad name for failing to fulfil the promises it made, BJP is left with the last resort of "playing the religion card".
Facing growing pressure to move swiftly on the Ram temple issue, the Modi government on Tuesday asked the Supreme Court to allow it to return the "non-disputed" surplus land acquired around the disputed structure in Ayodhya to a Hindu trust and other original owners, in a significant move ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.
(With inputs from PTI)
