Mayawati accuses SP, Congress of “anti- Dalit politics” over Kanshi Ram's legacy

Lucknow: Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati on Tuesday launched a sharp attack on the Samajwadi Party and Congress, accusing them of indulging in “anti-Dalit” politics and attempting to exploit the legacy of the BSP founder Kanshi Ram for electoral gains.

In a post on X, the BSP chief alleged that with the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections drawing closer, the SP and Congress were celebrating Kanshi Ram’s birth anniversary as part of a “calculated strategy” to secure Dalit votes.

She also targeted the Congress, saying it had failed to confer the Bharat Ratna on Kanshi Ram during its tenure at the Centre and was now demanding the honour from another government. This, she said, was “laughable”.

Mayawati further claimed that the SP and Congress had historically worked to weaken the BSP, the party founded by Kanshi Ram, and asserted that no force could shake it as long as she remained its national president and his “sole political heir”.

The former Uttar Pradesh chief minister also accused the parties of neglecting Kanshi Ram during his lifetime and attempting to “cash in” on his legacy now, alleging a “double-faced character” in their approach.

She added that several initiatives undertaken by the BSP government in honour of Kanshi Ram were reversed by the SP government showing its dual face.

Advising supporters of rival parties to remain silent, Mayawati also referred to Kanshi Ram’s book “The Chamcha Yug”, saying it was written to caution against such tendencies.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had recently demanded Bharat Ratna for Kanshi Ram and wrote a letter in this regard to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.