SP fielding Hindus in 'Muslim-dominated constituencies': Mayawati

Pilibhit/Moradabad (UP): Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati on Monday found fault with the Samajwadi Party for fielding Hindus in “Muslim-dominated constituencies” and Muslims on seats where Hindus dominate.

Addressing election rallies in Pilibhit and Moradabad, she also alleged that atrocities against the minorities are being committed in the guise of Hindutva.

The former Uttar Pradesh chief minister said the BSP, unlike the SP, has given proper representation in ticket allocation to members of the 'Sarv Samaj'.

"We have fielded candidates in accordance to the demographic representation of a constituency...but the Samajwadi Party has done the opposite. In constituencies like Moradabad where Muslims are more in numbers, it (SP) has given tickets to Hindus. And where Hindus are in majority, the SP mostly gave tickets to Muslims," she said.

On Sunday, Mayawati asked the Muslim community not to split their votes. "If the Muslim community splits its votes, and votes for the Congress, then the BJP will get the benefit," she had said at a rally in Saharanpur.

"In this Lok Sabha election, no new drama, jumlebazi or guarantee will work as the people of the country have understood that the promise of 'achche din' made to the poor and weaker sections has not yet been fulfilled," the BSP supremo said while addressing the rally in Pilibhit.

She also accused the ruling BJP of spending most of its time and strength on making its favourite capitalists richer and saving them as it is with their financial support that this party (BJP) and other parties run their organisations and contest elections which has also been 'exposed' through the electoral bonds data.

"The condition of Muslims and other minorities is also not good. In the past few years, it is because of the BJP-RSS government that their development has been affected. Atrocities are being committed in the guise of Hindutva," she alleged.

Mayawati also slammed the Congress for making 'tall promises' in its manifesto.

The Congress had been in power at the Centre and most of the states after independence for several years but due to its 'wrong policies and working style' it failed to get people's mandate in the past several years, she said.

"Now the BJP and their supporting parties have come to power at the Centre and many states. But their narrow communal thinking and policies of hatred show that there is a vast difference between what they do and say," she said.

Now, it seems that the BJP is not going to return to power at the Centre this time if the elections are held free and fair, the BSP chief said.

"If we get a chance to form a government at the centre, unlike any of these parties we will not make tall or paper promises but will do solid work on the ground like it did in Uttar Pradesh. In the garb of religion, especially Hindutva, Muslims are being exploited with the feeling of hatred, and this will also be stopped, our government will stop this," she asserted.

Cautioning that the poor, deprived, unemployed and other do not fall prey to hollow promises, she said "we will have to stop, at all costs, all opponents from coming to power at the centre whose words and deeds are different and who have been tried by the people several times.' 'For your own interest and that of the state and the country, do not vote for the Congress or BJP...vote for the BSP which is your well-wisher and will run the government as per the policy of 'sarvajan hitay, sarvajan sukhay'," she said, making an appeal.

Through the rallies, Mayawati campaigned for BSP's Lok Sabha poll candidates Mohd Irfan Saifi (Morababad), Zeeshan Khan (Rampur), Atar Ali (Nainital/ Udham Singhnagar), Anis Ahmed Khan alias Phool Babu (Pilibhit), and Dodram Verma (Shahjahanpur-reserved). She also campaigned for party candidate Sarvesh Chand Mishra (Dadraul assembly bypoll).