Both Ali and Bajrang Bali ours: Maya's reply to Yogi

Badaun (UP): Giving her own twist to a recent remark by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, BSP chief Mayawati Saturday said her party wanted both Ali and Bajrang Bali — particularly Bajrang Bali as the deity is "linked with my own Dalit caste".

Addressing a rally in Badaun, Mayawati recalled Adityanath's comment on Tuesday in which he referred to her earlier appeal to Muslims to vote for the opposition alliance in Uttar Pradesh.

"In this connection, I want to tell him (Adityanath) that both Ali and Bajrang Bali

are ours.... So we want both Ali as well as Bajrang Bali,"

she said.

Adityanath had said if Ali was with the BSP-SP-RLD combine, Bajrang Bali was with the BJP. Ali is a revered figure in Islam and Lord Hanuman is often called Bajrang Bali. Both Mayawati and Adityanath were served notices by the Election Commission over their remarks.

"We particularly want Bajrang Bali because he is linked to my own Dalit caste," Mayawati said. The BSP chief was apparently referring to Adityanath's comments last year when he had described Lord Hanuman as a forest dweller and a Dalit.

"I am very thankful to Yogi-ji that he has given us important information about our ancestors. So, it is a very happy moment to note that we have both Ali and Bajrang Bali and their coming together will give us very good results in these elections," she said.