Mayawati Accuses BJP, Congress of Deceiving Dalits over Reservations

BSP president Mayawati on Saturday slammed both the BJP and the Congress over its tall claims on reservation, saying neither party wants its benefits to reach the intended groups.Addressing an election gathering here, Mayawati blamed the two parties and the Samajwadi Party for making reservations in government job promotions ineffective.The former chief minister added that the majority of work is being handed over to the private sector, and given there is no provision of reservation in the private sector, very little benefit of quotas is reaching these sections.A lot of things are being said about reservations.

BSP president Mayawati on Saturday slammed both the BJP and the Congress over its ''tall claims'' on reservation, saying neither party wants its benefits to reach the intended groups.

Addressing an election gathering here, Mayawati blamed the two parties and the Samajwadi Party for making reservations in government job promotions ''ineffective''.

The former chief minister added that the majority of work is being ''handed over to the private sector'', and given there is no provision of reservation in the private sector, very little benefit of quotas is reaching these sections.

''A lot of things are being said about reservations. Both Congress and BJP are making tall claims on the issue of quota for the SC/ST and OBC sections. But both are against it and do not want its full benefit to reach these sections,'' Mayawati said.

Stressing that vacant posts for reserved categories in government jobs have not been filled, Mayawati said that during the Samajwadi Party government in Uttar Pradesh ''reservations in job promotions were ended''.

''You should know that when this matter was taken up by our party in Parliament, we exerted pressure on the government to bring an amendment bill for reservation in promotions. The Congress, which was in power and the BJP colluded and the bill was torn,'' the Bahujan Samaj Party supremo said.

With the SP at the forefront, BJP and Congress colluded to not let the bill to pass, she said.

The BSP leader said the exploitation and oppression of the backward groups has to stop.

Mayawati sought support for the BSP candidates in Agra (Puja Amrohi) Fatehpur Sikri (Ram Niwas Sharma) and Hathras (Hem Babu), saying her party has given representation to someone from the Jatav, Brahmin and Dhangar castes.

Polling on these seats will be held in the third phase on May 7.

The BSP leader also slammed the BJP for seeking votes over free food grains being distributed by the government.

''Earlier during the assembly election and now for Lok Sabha polls, BJP and RSS people, with a bag hanging on their shoulder, are moving about in villages to misguide the poor, saying that (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi has given you free ration and you should repay this debt through your votes in the elections,'' Mayawati said.

''I want to tell the poor that the free ration that is being distributed has not come from the BJP or Narendra Modi ji's pocket, it has come from the taxes that you have paid. It is from your tax. It is not any kind of favour either given by the BJP or Modi ji,'' she said.

Seeking support for her party in the elections, she said if BSP gets a chance to form its government at the centre, ''unlike the governments of rival parties, we will not do hollow work or push papers but solid work on the ground like what was done when BSP was in power in Uttar Pradesh.'' Mayawati also said that ''oppression'' of Muslims being carried out in the name of religion will be stopped like it was under the BSP government in UP. ''We did not let any riot take place in the state,'' she added.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)