Mayawati accuses BJP of preventing Dayashankar's arrest

Lucknow, July 24

Stepping up attack on the BJP, Mayawati on Sunday alleged that it had "pressured" the SP government in UP into lodging an FIR against her and was preventing arrest of Dayashankar Singh, who made derogatory remarks against her.

The BSP supremo claimed that the controversy was raked up by BJP ahead of the 2017 UP Assembly polls to distract people's attention from the issues of atrocities on Dalits in Gujarat raised by her inside and outside Parliament.

She alleged the remarks made by her party leaders, who were protesting against expelled BJP leader Singh, were deliberately misconstrued by the saffron party, reflecting its "polluted" and "casteist" mentality.

Mayawati also vowed to take stringent action in the whole episode once BSP comes to power in UP, if Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, who calls her "'Bua' does not ensure the arrest and take stern action against Singh".

"Slogans demanding Singh to present his mother, wife and daughter were raised. They (BJP) are viewing it with polluted mentality and publicising in media," Mayawati said amid a row over use of derogatory language by protesting BSP leaders against women members of Singh's family.

Referring to BSP national general secretary Naseemuddin Siddiqui's remarks, she said, "Whether the mother, wife and daughter of Singh's family agreed with the language used by the expelled BJP leader against me. They were asked to clarify their stand. Siddiqui has said no objectionable words were used against them."

On the complaint by Singh's mother against her, the BSP supremo said, "It would have been better if she had also demanded stern legal action against Singh for using derogatory language against a Dalit's daughter."

"She did not say a single word, which indicates their dual mentality towards mothers and daughters in general. Whatever is being done is being done to save Singh at the behest of BJP," she added.

She alleged that at the behest of BJP, statements were being issued to distract attention from the "heinous crime" of Singh.

She also termed the FIR against her in Singh's issue as "contempt of Parliament" and said that ruling SP has acted under pressure from the BJP.

Mayawati said that "frustrated" with the manner in which she raised the issue of harassment of Dalits in Gujarat in and outside Parliament, BJP as a part of conspiracy used Singh to distract the attention of Dalits.

"To distract attention of the people ahead of 2017 UP Assembly polls from BSP, the issue was raked as a conspiracy," she said.

The BSP supremo also announced that 'sarvjan hitay, sarvjan sukhaye' mega rallies will be held from next month to "expose" the "tacit understanding" between BJP and ruling SP to not arrest Singh.

"These rallies will start from August 21 from Agra and I will address them," she said.

Lashing out at UP government over lodging of FIR aganst her, she said, "I have been accused of presenting wrong things in Parliament. I have to say that every police officer should know that under Article 105 of the Constitution, every member has right to say his or her stand in Parliament.

"It has been clarified that no action in any court could be taken on things said in Parliament, but despite this a case had been registered against me, which is contempt of Parliament."

Questioning the SP government over not arresting Singh, she said, "If under pressure of BJP, especially Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, does not arrest Singh and ensure stern action against him, then a time-bound fair inquiry will be conducted when BSP comes to power and stern legal action will be taken."

"Not only this, stern action will also be taken in cases of harassment of Dalits," she said.

An FIR was filed against Mayawati along with general secretary Siddiqui and others on Friday on a complaint of Singh's mother Tetra Devi.

She had alleged that Mayawati used "abusive language" against the women members of the family and BSP leaders raised "derogatory" slogans at the protest in Lucknow on Thursday during which Singh's 12-year-old daughter was also dragged into the row.

The former chief minister also questioned the timing of launching projects for revival of fertiliser factory and setting up of AIIMS at Gorakhpur by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"The NDA government has completed two years in the office. If BJP was so concerned it should have done it within two months," she said. — PTI