Mayawati accuses BJP of preventing Dayashankar Singh's arrest

Lucknow: Stepping up attack on BJP, Mayawati on Sunday alleged that it had "pressurised" the SP government in UP into lodging an FIR against her and was preventing arrest of Dayashankar Singh, who made derogatory remarks against her.

The BSP supremo claimed that the controversy was raked up by BJP ahead of 2017 UP Assembly polls to distract people's attention from the issues of atrocities on Dalits in Gujarat raised by her inside and outside Parliament.

She alleged the remarks made by her party leaders, who were protesting against expelled BJP leader Singh, were deliberately misconstrued by the saffron party, reflecting its "polluted" and "casteist" mentality.

Mayawati also vowed to take stringent action in the whole episode once BSP comes to power in UP, if Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, who calls her "'Bua' does not ensure the arrest and take stern action against Singh".

"Slogans demanding Singh to present his mother, wife and daughter were raised. They (BJP) are viewing it with polluted mentality and publicising in media," Mayawati said amid a row over use of derogatory language by protesting BSP leaders against women members of Singh's family.

Referring to BSP national general secretary Naseemuddin Siddiqui's remarks, she said, "Whether the mother, wife and daughter of Singh's family agreed with the language used by the expelled BJP leader against me. They were asked to clarify their stand. Siddiqui has said that no objectionable words were used against them."

On the complaint by Singh's mother against her, the BSP supremo said, "It would have been better if she had also demanded stern legal action against Singh for using derogatory language against a Dalit's daughter."

"She did not say a single word, which indicates their dual mentality towards mothers and daughters in general. Whatever is being done is being done to save Singh at the behest of BJP," she added.
She alleged that at the behest of BJP, statements were being issued to distract attention from the "heinous crime" of Singh.

She also termed the FIR against her in Singh's issue as "contempt of Parliament" and said that ruling SP has acted under pressure from the BJP.

Mayawati said that "frustrated" with the manner in which she raised the issue of harassment of Dalits in Gujarat in and outside Parliament, BJP as a part of conspiracy used Singh to distract the attention of Dalits.
"To distract attention of the people ahead of 2017 UP Assembly polls from BSP, the issue was raked as a conspiracy," she said.

The BSP supremo also announced that 'sarvjan hitay, sarvjan sukhaye' mega rallies will be held from next month to "expose" the "tacit understanding" between BJP and ruling SP to not arrest Singh.
"These rallies will start from August 21 from Agra and I will address them," she said.