No cake for Mayawati on her birthday

Wary of the adverse reaction from the people and social activists over the foreign jaunt by Uttar Pradesh ministers and the Saifai festival, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati has decided not to celebrate her birthday on Wednesday.

Instead, Mayawati would be launching her party’s poll campaign at a rally in which lakhs of supporters from across the country are likely to participate.

BSP leaders said there would be no “cutting of cake” nor would there be any other event on the occasion in view of the recent communal riots in Muzaffarnagar.

“This is not the occasion to celebrate...riot victims are suffering in the relief camps,” said the BSP leaders. “Mayawati will launch the BSP’s election campaign,” they added.

The rally would be a show of strength by the BSP and was aimed at not only proving a few points to its political adversaries but also at boosting the morale of the party workers, which suffered a huge blow owing to the dismal performance of the party at the recently concluded Assembly polls.