Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief and former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mayawati has said that it would be better for the 'anti-dalit' Samajwadi Party (SP) not to comment on the internal matters of the BSP. She advised Akhilesh Yadav's party to rather focus on his family members and candidates belonging to the Yadav community who have been fielded in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections.
Mayawati's statements are in reference to the Samajwadi Party's comments on BSP after she sacked nephew Akash Anand as her successor and national coordinator.
In a series of posts on social media platform X, Mayawati wrote, "SP's behaviour, character and face, as always, is that of a party that is strongly opposed to the rights of Dalits, extremely backward people and the reservations given to them in the Constitution. Abolishing reservation in promotion and tearing up the Bill in this regard in Parliament are actions which are difficult to forgive."
"Also, changing the names of the districts, parks, universities etc. created by the BSP government in the name of great saints, gurus and great men born in the Bahujan community in their honour due to casteist thinking are such actions of the SP government will be remembered as black spots in history," Mayawati wrote.
Announcing it on X on Tuesday, the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister said she has taken the decision in the interest of the party and the movement and till the time Anand gains "full maturity". She said her brother and Akash's father Anand Kumar will continue to fulfil his responsibilities as before.
The surprise decision came on the day voting was held for the third phase of the Lok Sabha polls in the country.
In a post in Hindi on X, Mayawati said, "BSP is also a movement for self-respect and self-esteem of Baba Saheb Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar and social change for which Shri Kanshi Ram ji and I have dedicated our entire lives and a new generation is also being prepared to give it momentum."
She said, "In this direction, along with promoting other people in the party, I had declared Shri Akash Anand as the National Coordinator and his successor, but in the larger interest of the party and the movement, he is being divested of both these important responsibilities until he attains full maturity."
Mayawati said Anand Kumar will continue to fulfil his responsibilities in the party and the movement as before.
"Therefore, the leadership of BSP is not going to shy away from making every kind of sacrifice in the interest of the party and the movement and in taking forward the caravan of Baba Saheb Dr Ambedkar," she added.
On April 28, Akash Anand was booked in a case of violation of Model Code of Conduct along with four others for allegedly using objectionable language at a poll rally in Sitapur. The action had come after the district administration's took suo motu cognisance of Anand's speech at the rally.
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