Maintaining that SC/STs and OBCs hold the key to come to power at both the Centre and states, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo and former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mayawati requested them to remain united and struggle for their Constitutional rights.
Addressing a party convention attended by party workers from five southern states, including host Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry, the BSP chief alleged on Sunday that the Congress, which has ruled the country for the most number of years since Independence, has ignored the oppressed classes.“Successive governments both at the Centre and states have strategically divided society, pitting SC/STs against OBCs with an ulterior motive to remain in power,” she added.
Strongly advocating the need to forge an alliance between the SC/ST and OBCs, the BSP supremo said that religious minorities and OBCs must come together on a single platform and assert their rights.
Alleging that some political parties and media houses are spreading propaganda that BSP has an apathy towards upper castes, Mayawati said: “We are struggling only for the rights which are guaranteed in our Constitution.”
She urged the Centre to take immediate measures to provide reservation in the promotion of government staff. Opining that aggressive riding on FDI would result in diluting the rights and privileges guaranteed by the Constitution, she criticised both the Central and state government policy of uprooting the tribal people and making way for capitalists.
Exhorting her partymen not to fall prey to the Congress and BJP which are luring them with money and other offerings, the BSP chief appealed to them to work hard to strengthen the party.
State BSP presidents of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Puducherry also attended the rally.