BJP can't dupe extremely backward castes anymore for votes: SBSP

Hitting out at its ally BJP, the Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) Sunday said the people from extremely backward castes cannot be "duped" anymore by the saffron party for votes. In a tweet, UP Cabinet minister and president, SBSP, Om Prakash Rajbhar said: "When the backward castes have deserted (the BJP), then the Prime Minister started calling himself a person from an extremely backward caste. The Prime Minister wants to cross the electoral river banking on the extremely backward castes. But he should understand that the people from extremely backward castes have become aware now, and cannot be duped."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had on Saturday slammed the SP-BSP-RLD alliance in Uttar Pradesh, saying the tie-up of "opportunists" wants a helpless government because its mantra is "jaat, paat japna; janata ka maal apna". Dubbing the alliance as 'mahamilavati (highly adulterated) opportunists', Modi said in Kannauj that he doesn't believe in politics of caste. "Mayawatiji (BSP chief), I am most backward... I request with folded hands not to drag me into caste politics, 130 crore people are my family," he said.

Rajbhar, who is the Minister for Backward Welfare and Divyanjan Empowerment, also accused the government of failing to implement the recommendations of the social justice committee to classify various OBC and dalit subcastes to provides quotas to them.

The SBSP is an ally of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Uttar Pradesh, but it is fighting Lok Sabha elections alone in 39 constituencies in the state after talks with the saffron party fell through.