Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati addressing a press conference at her residence in Lucknow. | Photo credit: PTI
Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) president Mayawati has backed the central government’s bill to hold simultaneous elections on Sunday, saying it will reduce expenditure and ensure that public welfare works continue uninterrupted. “This step will reduce expenditure and ensure that public welfare works continue uninterrupted. Other political parties should support the initiative,” Ms Mayawati said while addressing a press conference in Lucknow.
The former four-time Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister said that parties like Congress and Samajwadi Party (SP) should not speak on reservation as they opposed the UN bill to give quota in promotions to Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST). Progressive Alliance (UPA) era.
“It would be better if the two parties remain silent on this issue in Parliament, as during the Congress-led UPA regime and with the support of this party, the SP opposed the Constitutional Amendment Bill regarding reservation in the promotion of SC and ST communities,” the BSP leader added.
Responding to the debate in the Lok Sabha on the completion of 75 years of the Constitution, Mayawati said that the Constitution has not failed but the people and parties ruling the country have ‘failed the Constitution due to casteist politics and narrow thinking’. The current BJP government will not be in the interest of the people of the country. The BSP leader reiterated his demand for reservation for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and OBCs to be included in the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution to prevent any tampering.
The BSP leader hit out at the ruling BJP for allegedly diverting public attention from the key issues of poverty and unemployment by using divisive tactics similar to previous Congress governments. “BJP forgets promises when it gets power, leaves key issues unresolved,” Ms Mayawati added.
published – Dec 16, 2024 at 04:01 pm IST