JOIN USAfter coining the acronym SCAM — Samajwadi Party, Congress, Akhilesh and Mayawati — for his rivals, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said the BSP has now turned into the ‘Behenji Sampatti Party’.
It alludes to BSP supremo Mayawati’s ‘sampatti’ or assets, allegedly ill-gotten. Addressing election meetings at Orai in Uttar Pradesh’s Jalaun district, about 200 kilometres from here, and Phulpur in Allahabad district, Modi rejected Mayawati’s charge that her brother was being harassed for political gain.
The prime minister also rubbished Mayawati’s allegation that the Union government had not made adequate preparations before announcing the note ban.
“In fact, we did not give them (rivals) enough time to prepare. That is why they are complaining,” Modi said. He said all “corrupt” people had joined hands after the note ban.
The prime minister referred to the problems in Bundelkhand and said successive non-BJP governments had only looted the region, and not done anything to provide succor to its people. “We will set up a Bundelkhand Development Board to ensure the development of the area,” he added.
He said the government would formulate laws to effectively deal with illegal mining, which was rampant in the region. “We will make use of satellites to develop Bundelkhand. We will use technology to save our resources,” he said. At the Phulpur rally, Modi said earlier India was known for scams, but it was now known for skill.
Toying with names
Within hours of her party being labelled the Behenji Sampatti Party, Mayawati retaliated, toying with the prime minister’s full name — Narendra Damodardas Modi.
She called Modi ‘Mr Negative Dalit Man’ and also made a personal attack, by raking up his marriage.“Narendra Damodardas Modi stands for Negative (N), Dalit (Damodardas) and Man (M),” Mayawati said at an election meeting in Sultanpur, about 125 km from here.“Narendra Modi is anti-Dalit,” she charged.
Upset over Modi’s jibe, Mayawati said the BJP should first reveal how much money was deposited in its accounts before the decision to demonetise Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 notes was announced.
She said her entire life was dedicated to the upliftment of the Dalits, Muslims and other weaker sections of the society. “Unlike Modi, I did not get married. It is another matter that Modi has abandoned his wife,” she said.
Mayawati said people across the country considered her not merely a leader, but also their ‘dharohar’ (precious property).
The BSP supremo said her party would henceforth reply to the ‘jumlebazi’ (epithet-making or sloganeering) by the BJP. “The BJP will forget its ‘jumlas’,” she added.