LUCKNOW: The ongoing depletion of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) seems to be far from over. On Wednesday, BSP national general secretary Indrajeet Saroj was communicated by supremo Mayawati that he was being divested from all party posts and that he won't be allowed to function for the party any longer.
Shocked Saroj came out in open against Mayawati and launched a broadside on the party leadership claiming that his refusal to fulfil Mayawati’s demand for Rs 15 lakh led to him being shown the door.
On the contrary, Mayawati from Delhi reportedly denied having sacked Saroj saying that he was under severe depression. Saroj, however, claimed that Mayawati herself called him up to convey that he stood sacked from the party for failing to follow her diktat and opposing her directives.
As the word of Saroj's expulsion spread, hundreds of his supporters including MLAs, former MPs and other leader and party workers resigned from primary membership of the blue brigade.
Like other party senior leaders who either parted ways or were expelled in the recent past, Saroj also accused her of using the party organisation as money minting machine. "She is money maniac who had only moolah in mind. Those who refuse to indulge in extortion on her behalf are shown the door like me," Saroj said.
Narrating the sequence of events, Saroj said that Mayawati had called a meeting of party leaders on July 8, asking everyone to fetch Rs 9 lakh to Rs 22 lakh from each Assembly segment. "She asked us to maintain a register in every constituency and keep a record of how much money was collected," Saroj said.
"As we went into the field, we faced a hostile electorate and BSP cadre. Even those who came from her Jatav community refused to shell out money. I felt humiliated and decided to refuse to follow the directive," he stated. "She needs psychiatric advice against her love for money," he avered.
On the other hand, issuing a statement from Delhi, Mayawati tried to clear the air saying that party leaders were asked to deposit money for party fund. It was the membership fee which everyone was supposed to shell out.
“Owing to her attitude and love for money, the party failed to open an account in 2014 and reduced to a meagre 19 seats in 2017. Still, there is no remorse," Saroj maintained and claimed that she was destroying the Dalit movement initiated by her mentor and party founder president Kanshi Ram.
Saroj was elected to UP Assembly for the first time on BSP ticket from Manjhanpur Assembly segment of Kaushambi district in 1996. He has represented BSP in Assembly four times and has been a cabinet minister twice in erstwhile BSP governments holding portfolios like Social Welfare, SC/ST welfare and child development and nutrition.
In a similar development, axe fell on another senior leader of the blue brigade from Unnao district on Wednesday for opposing party leadership over a number of issues.