When Samajwadi Party had its government in UP, reservation in promotion for SCs and STs was made ineffective. “Shri Akhilesh Yadav” had almost abolished it, said BSP national president Mayawati, while addressing a rally in Kannauj on Thursday. “After a long struggle by our party, when an amendment bill on reservation in promotion for SCs and STs was introduced in the parliament, it was the Congress which was in power at the center. Congress and BJP connived to push Samajwadi Party and other opposition parties to oppose the bill. Not only that, MPs of Samajwadi Party had torn the bill inside parliament. Jo Daliton ka vote lene ki baat karte hain, kya unko aapko Daliton ka vote dena chahiye (They are seeking Dalit votes, should Dalits vote for them)?”.

Mayawati said that the reservation provided to SCs, STs and OBCs in the constitution by Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar was never given to them in the Congress or the Samajwadi Party govts.

“You must be aware that reservation quota for SCc, STs and OBCs in govt jobs has been lying vacant for years.”

Reaching out to voters in the Samajwadi Party stronghold, former UP CM said that each time her party formed the govt in UP, it had special focus on Kannauj, Auraiya, Farrukhabad and Etawah. “Our govts did a lot of development in these four districts.” At the same time, she added, “We ensured respect and honor for saints and great personalities born in Dalit and deprived communities.” But opposition parties could not “digest” it, said Mayawati. “Especially, it was Samajwadi Party that did not like it.”

“Shri Akhilesh Yadav” govt got the names of most of the parks, districts and institutes, that we built and named after Dalit icons, changed. “We carved Bhadohi district out of Varanasi and named it after Sant Ravidas. But Akhilesh Yadav govt changed its name.”

“He has so much hatred against great personalities and saints born in Dalit and deprived communities. What right he has then to seek votes from Dalits for Samajwadi Party? You do not have to vote for them and forgive such a party.”

Among the upper caste, it is the Brahmin community that has been harassed a lot in the Samajwadi Party govt and, also, in the incumbent BJP govt, said BSP chief. “In Kanpur mandal, Brahmins have faced a lot of harassment. There are many examples of their harassment and exploitation in Samajwadi Party govt. In Kannauj, also there were atrocities committed on them in large scale and, it is continuing.”

Talking about electoral bonds, she said that BSP is the only party to have come clean on the controversy. “When report on electoral bonds got published, it came to light that Congress, BJP and all other parties took crores through bonds from corporates and industrialists in elections. But you would not have read BSP’s name anywhere in the report. The party never took any money from any corporate or industrialist ever for contesting election and running its organization.”

“Our party collects little little money by way of financial support from its workers to run the organization, its central office and other offices,” said Mayawati, adding that in elections also, the party, along with the financial support from the workers, urges candidates, who, already, are spending so much money on their election to also “give some money for my election tour as a help”.

“The party also collects money through memberships and contributions on occasions like birthday (Mayawati’s birthday on January 15), to collect little little amount of money to run the movement and contest elections.”

Our govt in UP never let any Hindu-Muslim riots take place and ensured safety or life and property for people of all religions

While seeking votes for its candidate, Imran bin Jafar in Kannauj, she said, “When Samajwadi Party mukhiya got to know that we have given a ticket to a Muslim, he said that it has been done on BJP’s directions. In Kannauj, Muslim population is present in considerable numbers. Samajwadi Party never gives a ticket to a Muslim (in Kannauj). Unko toh apne pariwar se hi fursat nahin milti ticket bantware mein (They do not look beyond their family while distributing tickets (in Kannauj)) Samajwadi Party family has a Yadav contesting here. When we give Muslims their rights, they do not like it”

She said that Muslims should not give even a single vote to Samajwadi Party but vote for BSP candidate. “He will get Dalit and OBC votes and if Muslim vote does not split, it will be a different result in Kannauj.” She also sought votes for Sarika Singh Baghel in Etawah (SC) and Kranti Pandey in Farrukhabad.

Hitting out at both Congress and BJP, she said that, like Congress, even BJP has politicized central investigative agencies.

On free ration being distributed by the BJP govt, she said that a handful of free ration will not solve the problem of people. “Free ration that you are getting is not from the money of BJP or Shri Narendra Modi ji but from your own money that you pay as tax.”

She also asked voters to be wary of opposition parties using media, opinion polls, and surveys for their own good. She asked voters to not be misled by the manifestos that they release during elections to woo people. “Our party never releases any manifesto because we believe in working on the ground rather than making false promises.”