Mayawati thanks Yogi govt for memorial upkeep; Akhilesh calls it collusion

Lucknow: Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday took a dig at Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati after she praised the BJP government for maintaining memorials of Dalit icons, saying those who are "grateful to their oppressors" must have some "internal understanding" with them.

Earlier in the day, Mayawati held a rally in Lucknow where she said the SP remembers the PDA -- the alliance of backward classes (Pichhda), Dalits and minorities (Alpsankhyak) -- only when it is out of power. Thursday marked the 19th death anniversary of BSP founder Kanshi Ram.

She also thanked the Yogi Adityanath government for ensuring the upkeep of memorials built under her regime, saying, "I wrote a letter to the chief minister requesting that the ticket money collected from visitors be used for maintenance. The BJP government assured us that this money would not be diverted elsewhere but would be used only for upkeep, and for this, our party is thankful to them."

Yadav said, "Because their (BJP-BSP) internal collusion continues, that is why they are grateful to their oppressors." "If she is grateful to those who oppress people, what can I say about it? The government that commits atrocities is the one she is now thankful to. If this is not collusion, then what is?" he added.

The BSP supremo also accused the SP of being "two-faced" and co-opting Dalit icons for political gain.

Responding to her remarks during a press conference, Yadav said his government had always honoured Dalit leaders and icons through genuine initiatives.

"I have listed the species of plants and trees planted and maintained at the memorials of B R Ambedkar and Kanshi Ram during our government. If BJP leaders can even name those trees, I will accept their claims," he said, noting the "poor maintenance" of the memorials during the BJP rule.

On Mayawati's allegation that the SP government had changed the BSP-era decision to name Kasganj district as Kanshiram Nagar, Yadav said, "If the Samajwadi Party comes to power, we will install a statue of Kanshi Ram ji at the Gomti riverfront in Lucknow and develop a 500-metre-long park in his honour."

He also recalled that SP founder Mulayam Singh Yadav and supporters had helped Kanshi Ram in the 1991 Lok Sabha elections from Etawah, which he had won.

On Mayawati's charge that the SP was a party of "goons and mafias", Yadav hit back, saying, "This is the language of the BJP. These are the words the BJP uses against us. I urge journalists to place pictures of our party workers and BJP members side by side -- you will see who the real goons and mafias are."

The SP chief also questioned the "political character" of the BJP and cited the example of the Jayaprakash Narayan International Convention Centre in Lucknow's Gomti Nagar area, which has remained closed for the last eight years.

"Patna's airport is named after Jayaprakash Narayan, and the largest museum, built in Lucknow during our government and dedicated to him, has been shut down by the BJP and is now being readied for sale," the former UP chief minister alleged.

He recalled that the foundation stone for the convention centre, located near Lohia Park, was laid by former chief minister Mulayam Singh Yadav in the presence of veteran socialist leader George Fernandes.

"No other leader has a museum as good as this one. It even features narrations in the voices of Om Puri and Amitabh Bachchan," Yadav said, adding that after his party objected to the sale, the government appeared to have put the plan on hold.

Reacting to Mayawati's comments about alliances and cooperation between party workers, Yadav said, "Everyone took from her speech what they found useful. There was one thing we also liked, and we noted it." Mayawati had remarked that whenever she enters into an alliance, her partners take her votes but do not transfer theirs to her.

Asked if the BSP chief was referring to the previous SP-BSP alliance, the Kannauj MP replied, "I don't think she said this about us. In that election, five SP candidates won while the BSP won ten."

"We have learned a lot from Mayawati's speech today. She said some people take our votes but don't give theirs, and we have taken note of that too," Yadav added.