Mayawati slams Samajwadi Party over proposed 'PDA Day' on Kanshi Ram's birth anniversary

Lucknow, Feb 26 (PTI) Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati on Thursday accused the Samajwadi Party of indulging in "political theatrics" by proposing to observe 'PDA Day' on the birth anniversary of BSP founder Kanshi Ram and alleged that the Akhilesh Yadav-led party has historically been opposed to Dalits, OBCs and the Bahujan community.

SP chief Yadav coined the acronym PDA in June 2023, which stands for 'Pichhde' (backward classes), Dalits and 'Alpsankhyak' (minorities).

In a post in Hindi on X, Mayawati said the SP's "conduct, character and face" have historically reflected disrespect towards leaders and icons of the Bahujan society, and claimed that its move to mark Kanshi Ram's birth anniversary was aimed at garnering votes from marginalised communities.

She claimed that the SP's "casteist" politics dates back to the 1993 BSP-SP alliance. Despite conditions laid down to curb atrocities against weaker sections, she said, then chief minister and SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav did not alter his approach, which led the BSP to withdraw support on June 1, 1995.

The former Uttar Pradesh chief minister also referred to the 1995 state guest house incident in Lucknow, calling it a "recorded instance of brutality" in which she was attacked.

Mayawati further alleged that successive SP governments disrespected Kanshi Ram by changing the names of districts and institutions associated with him. She cited the renaming of Kanshi Ram Nagar district and changes to institutions named after the BSP founder in places including Saharanpur.

Targeting the SP leadership under Akhilesh Yadav, Mayawati alleged a continuation of what she termed anti-Dalit and anti-BSP policies. She also levelled allegations against both the Congress and the SP over incidents of communal violence during their respective tenures.

She said it was due to the conduct of the SP that the BJP got an opportunity to exploit the situation for political gains and form its government in the state.

"The Samajwadi Party and the Bharatiya Janata Party have effectively fed off each other, becoming mutually convenient rivals while pursuing casteist and communal politics in the state.

"The BJP rule in Uttar Pradesh has adversely affected Muslims and the Bahujan community, while crores of ordinary people in the state are distressed in every way," she said.

From the beginning till now, the SP's casteist and communal attitude towards Dalits, OBCs, Muslims and the Bahujan society is not hidden from anyone, she said.

Mayawati questioned why Kanshi Ram was not accorded due respect during his lifetime and why no day of state mourning was declared after his demise.

"The SP must answer the Bahujan samaj," she said.

Appealing to the Bahujan community, she urged people to remain vigilant in view of what she described as the SP's anti-Dalit and casteist actions. PTI ABN RHL