By Shashi Bhushan
New Delhi, Aug 8 (IANS): As the BJP is gearing up for upcoming polls, Minister of State in the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs Kaushal Kishore claims that both Mayawati-led Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party (SP) are creating a divide in the society.
In an exclusive interview to IANS, Kishore alleged that as Assembly poll is nearing, they are have started mobilising people on the name of caste and religion by organising caste specific programmes. They are also creating communal hatred among the people and are dividing the society for their small political gains. Below are the excerpts of the interview.
Q: Do you think caste will play an important role in the next year's Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls as it has been noticed that both -- Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati -- have started playing on the caste equation.
A: Both the leaders are instigating people on caste and communal lines and they will not succeed in their mission. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the BJP government at the Centre and State are working for an inclusive society with sole objective of 'Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas and Sabka Vishwas'.
Prime Minister Modi and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath are not differentiating people on the line of caste and religion. They are working round the clock to make citizens' lives better and happy. The Prime Minister is working hard to make India a global leader.
Q: What do you mean by saying the SP and BSP are instigating people on caste and religious line?
A: As assembly poll is nearing they have started mobilising people on the name of caste and religious. They a have started organising caste specific programmes to divide the society. They are also creating communal hatred among the people. Let me explain, Mayawati is only talking about BMD (Brahmin, Muslim and Dalit) to win the Assembly polls. While Akhilesh and SP is dreaming to become the chief minister with the support of BMY (Brahmin, Muslim and Yadav). I simply want to asked don't they need votes of other communities. They are dividing the society for their small political gains.
While concentrating on BMD, Mayawati is ignoring 52 per cent Other Backward Class (OBC) and other communities. I tell you, Dalits have started deserting her and BSP, and she is left with less than 20 per cent Dalit's support. Gaining five per cent support of the Brahmins will be a big achievement for her.
Similarly, Akhilesh is saying that the SP needs votes of BMY. Akhilesh dose not want vote and support of Dalits and non-Yadav OBC.
The BJP is the only party working to bring everyone together, seeking support and their blessings to serve.
Mayawati and Akhilesh are the followers of Dr B R Ambedkar and Ram Manohar Lohia respectively. but why they are not following their icons' teachings. They are creating a divide in the society, while BJP is working to bring everyone together.
Q: What do you mean by Akhilesh and Mayawati not following teaching of Dr Ambedkar and Dr Lohia?
A: They keep throwing names of Dr Ambedkar and Dr Lohia but do not bother about their teaching or principles. They just want to get power by using names of Dr Ambedkar and Dr Lohia.
Chanting 'Jai Bheem' has nothing to do with Dr Ambedkar's visions. Dr Ambedkar talked about Jaati vihin samaj (casteless society) but her way of politics, Mayawati creating is a division in the society on the basis of caste. Mayawati's politics is against Dr Ambedkar's basic teaching of caste less society.
'Mayawati Dr Ambedkar ke Sapno ko Haati ke pair ke neeche kuchal rahi hai' (Mayawati is crushing Dr Ambedkar's vision under the elephant's feet).
Lohia in his whole life talked about bringing a smile on the face of the last man of the society, but Akhilesh and his party did nothing to fulfill this vision of the great leader. 'Akhilesh ne Lohia ke vicharo ka cycle se accident kara diya (Akhilesh's cycle ran over Lohia's thoughts).
Together, both Akhilesh and Mayawati ruled the state for over two decades and would they tell the people about what they have done to address the basic needs like water, power, health, etc. They failed to develop the state and improve the lives of the people, including that caste they are talking about.
Q: Are you saying they did nothing during their regimes?
A: They did not do anything to provide continuous power or water supply or ensuring housing for all which also includes those communities which support them. The BJP government under the leadership of the Prime Minister ensured all these basic facilities to everyone.
Under 'Saubhagya', the Modi government has ensured electricity connection to each and every households, the Yogi Adityanath government ensured minimum 18 hours power supply in villages from earlier maximum eight hours. The BJP government is ensuring tap water supply to every house, housing for all by 2022, toilet for everyone and there is a long list of welfare initiatives.
During Covid, the Modi government provided free rations to 80 crore people. Apart from infrastructure development, the BJP government has improved law and order situation in the state in last four and half years. We are going to tell people about work of the BJP government at the Centre and state during three days 'Jan Ashirvad Yatra.
Q: What would be the BJP's agenda in the Assembly polls?
A: We are going to seek blessing of the people who gave the BJP right to serve them. The BJP government at the Centre and state is working for people after coming into power and will continue to do same in the future also.
In Uttar Pradesh, we will list details of work and also tell people that this work will stop if the opposition parties come to power as the development and welfare is never in their agenda.
We will ask them to bring back the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh so as to continue the ongoing development and bring more new initiatives in future.
We will also tell the people about the government's preparedness for the third wave with an appeal to follow Covid appropriate behaviour.