BSP rally on Kanshi Ram's death anniversary aimed at ensuring BJP's win in Bihar: Cong's Udit Raj

Lucknow, Nov 2 (PTI) Congress leader Udit Raj on Sunday claimed the rally organised by Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati here on the death anniversary of the party's founder Kanshi Ram was aimed at ensuring the BJP's win in the Bihar assembly elections.

Referring to the Raebareli lynching case, where Valmiki (40) was allegedly killed by villagers who mistook him for a thief, the Congress leader alleged that atrocities against Dalits, OBCs, and minorities were steadily rising in Uttar Pradesh.

"A shoe was thrown at Chief Justice of India B R Gavai. Had the BJP not been in power, would anyone have even considered committing such an act? Hariom Valmiki was murdered, and atrocities against Dalits, OBCs, and minorities are steadily increasing in Uttar Pradesh," he said.

Raj also asked why Dalit employees and officers in Uttar Pradesh are "silent" over the alleged suicide of Haryana IPS officer Y Puran Kumar.

Kumar (52), a 2001-batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer, allegedly shot himself at his private residence in Chandigarh on October 7. In an eight-page 'final note' purportedly left behind by Kumar, he accused eight senior IPS officers of blatant caste-based discrimination, targeted mental harassment, public humiliation and atrocities.

Targeting BSP chief Mayawati, Raj said, "The rally in Lucknow on Kanshi Ram's death anniversary was a pretext. The real aim was to ensure the BJP's victory in Bihar. Mayawati has so far worked to ensure the BJP's victory in Uttar Pradesh, but now she has taken over Bihar as well." In a post on X, he also said, "It was doubtful at the time itself, as she had never held a rally on the (death) anniversary of Kanshi Ram. The rally's impact was that (party) ticket prices in the Bihar Assembly elections not only increased, but the vote share of the INDIA bloc will also be cut. Is this less than the friendship between Jai and Viru?" Bihar will go to polls in two phases on November 6 and 11, and votes will be counted on November 14. In the outgoing 243-member assembly, the ruling NDA has 138 members, while the opposition alliance has 103 members.

The Congress leader also opposed the formation of the Uttar Pradesh Outsourcing Service Corporation, and described the move as a "systematic attempt to legitimise contract exploitation and force lakhs of workers into insecure, low-paid, and unsafe conditions".

The Uttar Pradesh Cabinet on September 2 approved a proposal to pay outsourced employees in various departments and institutions a monthly honorarium of Rs 16,000 to Rs 20,000.

It also gave a nod to improving the service condition of outsourced staff and extending reservations in such appointments. PTI NAV NSD NSD