'Swami Prasad Maurya was only an opportunist': UP minister Baby Rani Maurya

New Delhi: Days after taking oath in the Yogi Adityanath 2.0 Cabinet, Baby Rani Maurya came down heavily on Swami Prasad Maurya, who had left the Bharatiya Janata Party to join Samajwadi Party (SP) before the state Assembly elections after alleging that Dalits were being neglected in the state, calling him an opportunist.

Baby Rani Maurya said that she would work for the Dalit upliftment and empowerment of women.

Speaking to news agency ANI, Baby Rani said that she herself belongs to the Jatav community, a Dalit segment of Uttar Pradesh, and added that the community is looking up to her with high hopes. 

Praising the BJP for giving a platform to a person from the Dalit community, she said, "From a mayor, the BJP made me a Governor and then a Cabinet minister. I am also the national vice president of the BJP."

"Swami Prasad Maurya was an opportunist. He had come to find opportunities. He went after doing what he had to do and see for yourselves what is his condition today," the BJP leader, who also served as Uttarakhand Governor said. 

 

In the past, I served as a Governor, a mayor, and today as a minister in UP cabinet. During Covid outbreak, I decided to resign as Uttarakhand Governor & returned to UP to serving public. Through the years, I have continued to work for the welfare of women: Baby Rani Maurya, BJP pic.twitter.com/kXvAshOBB1 — ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) March 27, 2022

 

Months before the Assembly polls, Swami Prasad Maurya had resigned as Minister for Labour and Employment and joined the SP. 

However, he lost the election from the Fazilnagar seat to the BJP`s Surendra Kumar Kushwaha by over 45,000 votes.

Noting that the BJP works for the welfare of the poor, Baby Rani Maurya said that the BJP works for the welfare of the poor and the oppressed. 

"That is why the people have given us a chance again and we are working for them," she added. 

"When I was the Governor, I used to have this feeling in my mind that due to COVID-19 many people lost their jobs and family members. People were running continuously to save their lives. I felt that I had to help these people and I prayed for an opportunity to serve the people. After I gave my resignation as the Uttarakhand Governor, I was given chance to serve those who are suffering in Uttar Pradesh," she said. 

The BJP leader also said since she became a Mayor of Agra, her focus has been women empowerment and assured that it will continue to remain so. 

"I do not know which department I will get, but whatever I get, women will remain my focus," Maurya said. 

She further noted that to make women financially independent, the Central and state government schemes will be strictly implemented on the ground. 

On the scheme of the Yogi Adityanath government giving free ration to people of the state, she said that it was done because of the COVID-19 and the state reached out to provide assistance to the women.