<div align="justify">BSP chief Mayawati on Tuesday submitted her resignation from Rajya Sabha charging that she was "not allowed" to speak in the Upper House on Dalit atrocities.<br /> <br />Hours after her dramatic announcement during Zero Hour, Mayawati met Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari and "submitted her resignation in person". Officials said the three-page resignation will be "duly examined" but it is to be seen whether it would be accepted as rules do not allow MPs to cite reasons.<br /> <br />In her letter, she also pointed fingers at Deputy Chairman P J Kurien of not allowing to complete her speech. Mayawati also claimed that he did not make any efforts to ensure that shouting and sloganeering BJP MPs behave.<br /> <br />"I have decided if I cannot put my views in Parliament about a section of people with whom I am working, I should resign," she told reporters, a view which she echoed in her letter.<br /> <br />Invoking B R Ambedkar who stepped down as Law Minister after he could not put his views in Parliament over Hindu Code Bill, Mayawati accused the BJP-led government of misleading Dalits in the name of the 'Father of Constitution'. She said the BJP MPs and even Ministers interrupted and did not allow her to finish her speech.<br /> <br />Mayawati's Rajya Sabha term ends in April next year and her re-election from Uttar Pradesh depends on the support of Samajwadi Party and Congress as her party does not have the requisite numbers to get her to Rajya Sabha. There were also talks that she may be elected from Bihar with the help of RJD and JDU.<br /> <br />All started in in the Zero Hour when Mayawati wanted her notice on attrocities on Dalits in Uttar Pradesh to be discussed. Though Congress and Trinamool Congress among others had also given notices on the same issue, they had decided that Mayawati would speak first as per an agreement reached at their strategy meeting.<br /> <br />The Chair did not allow her notice for suspending the business of the House but gave the nod for raising the subject. However, after three minutes that saw frequent interruption from the ruling side, Kurien asked her to wrap her speech which was objected by her.<br /> <br />This led to a confrontation between the Opposition and BJP MPs. In between, an angry Mayawati said she is resigning and walked out of the House.<br /> <br />Emotionally charged Mayawati's announcement stunned the Opposition as well her party MPs, who tried to convince her not to take he step. Opposition leaders like Congress' Ghulam Nabi Azad, CPI(M)'s Sitaram Yechury and Trinamool Congress' Derek O'Brien tried to reason with her later but she went ahead to submit her papers. <br /></div>
<div align="justify">BSP chief Mayawati on Tuesday submitted her resignation from Rajya Sabha charging that she was "not allowed" to speak in the Upper House on Dalit atrocities.<br /> <br />Hours after her dramatic announcement during Zero Hour, Mayawati met Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari and "submitted her resignation in person". Officials said the three-page resignation will be "duly examined" but it is to be seen whether it would be accepted as rules do not allow MPs to cite reasons.<br /> <br />In her letter, she also pointed fingers at Deputy Chairman P J Kurien of not allowing to complete her speech. Mayawati also claimed that he did not make any efforts to ensure that shouting and sloganeering BJP MPs behave.<br /> <br />"I have decided if I cannot put my views in Parliament about a section of people with whom I am working, I should resign," she told reporters, a view which she echoed in her letter.<br /> <br />Invoking B R Ambedkar who stepped down as Law Minister after he could not put his views in Parliament over Hindu Code Bill, Mayawati accused the BJP-led government of misleading Dalits in the name of the 'Father of Constitution'. She said the BJP MPs and even Ministers interrupted and did not allow her to finish her speech.<br /> <br />Mayawati's Rajya Sabha term ends in April next year and her re-election from Uttar Pradesh depends on the support of Samajwadi Party and Congress as her party does not have the requisite numbers to get her to Rajya Sabha. There were also talks that she may be elected from Bihar with the help of RJD and JDU.<br /> <br />All started in in the Zero Hour when Mayawati wanted her notice on attrocities on Dalits in Uttar Pradesh to be discussed. Though Congress and Trinamool Congress among others had also given notices on the same issue, they had decided that Mayawati would speak first as per an agreement reached at their strategy meeting.<br /> <br />The Chair did not allow her notice for suspending the business of the House but gave the nod for raising the subject. However, after three minutes that saw frequent interruption from the ruling side, Kurien asked her to wrap her speech which was objected by her.<br /> <br />This led to a confrontation between the Opposition and BJP MPs. In between, an angry Mayawati said she is resigning and walked out of the House.<br /> <br />Emotionally charged Mayawati's announcement stunned the Opposition as well her party MPs, who tried to convince her not to take he step. Opposition leaders like Congress' Ghulam Nabi Azad, CPI(M)'s Sitaram Yechury and Trinamool Congress' Derek O'Brien tried to reason with her later but she went ahead to submit her papers. <br /></div>
