The Hindu : National : BSP not against upper castes: Mayawati

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Nov 19, 2008
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

National

National

BSP not against upper castes: Mayawati

Says Congress, Bharatiya Janata Party work for the interests of the capitalists

Photo: A. M. Faruqui

Welcome: Bahujan Samaj Party supremo and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati being welcomed at an election meeting in Bhopal on Tuesday.

Bhopal: Hoping to increase the Bahujan Samaj Party’s stake in Madhya Pradesh, party supremo and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati on Tuesday denied that her party was against the upper castes and said she was in favour of reservation for the upper caste poor, but the Central government was dithering on it.

“My government is committed to providing 10 per cent reservation to the poor among upper castes. I have written to the Prime Minister about this but no action has been taken,” she said, adding that the BSP was not against the upper castes as was being projected by some political parties.

“The BSP’s policies have never been against any caste or com munity, the party is committed to the welfare of all sections and castes,” she said, addressing an election meeting here.

“The party wants development of all the castes. In Uttar Pradesh, the party has taken care of backward Muslims and we promise that we will amend the Constitution to provide reservation to backward people from the upper castes when we come to power at the Centre.

“Though the BSP stands for ‘Sarvajan Hitay, Sarvajan Sukhay’ (welfare of all people, happiness for all), the first priority is people from the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes as they have been ignored by the Congress and BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) governments in the last 60 years,” Ms. Mayawati said.

“These parties are run with capitalists’ funds. They work for the interests of these capitalists when they come to power. But the BSP will work for the welfare of the people since it is run with the monetary cooperation of its followers and workers,” she said.

“To establish an equal society and also to come to power, it is important that the BSP takes sarvajan samaj (all sections of society) with it,” the UP Chief Minister claimed.

Ms. Mayawati, however, did not forget to reiterate her demand for job reservations in the private sector also. “All those companies which get government contracts will have to provide this reservation,” she said and added: “Those companies which provide reservation will get support from the government.” -IANS

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

National