Mayawati slams both BJP & Congress, dubs them corrupt

Bhubaneswar: Bahujan Samajwadi Party (BSP) chief Mayawati Tuesday mounted a blistering attack on both BJP and Congress and accused them of betraying the dalits and the minorities while benefitting the rich.

Kicking off her party's election campaign in Odisha at a rally here, the BSP supremo accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the NDA government of introducing GST in haste and failing to implement it in a proper manner resulting in rise in unemployment among the country's youths.

She hit out at the BJP-led government over demonetisation saying the hurriedly taken measure had harassed small businessmen and traders who eke out their living without depending on any government aid or assistance.

"Both Congress and BJP are corrupt. While Congress was in news for its involvement in the Bofors scam, the BJP government has been embrolied in Rafale deal," Mayawati said.

Coming down heavily on both parties, she accused them of never working for the uplift of the dalit, backward and minorities sections.

"Their discriminatory mindset is yet to change towards dalits," Mayawati said adding unemployment has grown manifold during the BJP-led NDA government which has distressed the jobless youths.

Though BSP's presence in Odisha is limited, the party has been contesting both Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in the state in recent times.

In 2014, BSP had fielded candidates in 113 out of the 147 assembly constituencies in the state and polled only 0.86 per cent of votes. This time too several nominees of the party are in the fray.

Assembly election in Odisha is scheduled to be held along with the Lok Sabha polls in four phases on April 11, 18, 23 and 29.