Siblings relatives part of 'Bahujan Samaj' nothing more Mayawati

    Lucknow, Mar 17 (PTI) Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati on Monday said that for her, siblings and other relatives are only part of the 'Bahujan Samaj' and nothing more.
    Speaking to reporters here, Mayawati said whoever from the Bahujan Samaj works in the interest of the party will be promoted, and her relations will not come in the way.
    “I will never let my interests and those of my siblings and relatives weaken the party till the time I am alive. My siblings and other relatives are only part of the Bahujan Samaj for me, and nothing more.
    "Whoever from the Bahujan Samaj works with honesty and dedication in the interest of the party and the movement will be given a chance to progress, and my relatives will not come in the way," she said.
    The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo's remarks assume significance after she removed her nephew Akash Anand from all party posts on March 2, and announced that there will be no successor to her in the party till the time she is alive.
    The BSP chief also appointed her brother Anand Kumar and Ramji Gautam as national coordinators to oversee BSP's affairs across the country.
    Referring to the 91st birth anniversary celebrations of BSP founder Kanshi Ram on March 15, Mayawati told reporters that this time it was celebrated with great enthusiasm and zeal in the middle of various festivals, including Holi.
    "The resolution taken by his followers to strengthen the party at every level has boosted my courage and enthusiasm," Mayawati said.
    She also talked about social change and giving respect to the Bahujan Samaj by moving away from a casteist mentality.
    Referring to Narendra Modi, the BSP chief said, "The prime minister keeps talking about his poverty from time to time, but he has never faced any caste discrimination like the Dalits or people from the other neglected classes.
    "All our saints, gurus and great men have faced this discrimination, which their followers still face to a great extent. Hence, I strongly appeal to the mature people in the party to always keep telling these important things to their children and the younger generation, whose preparation is also their responsibility."
    She also claimed the Dalits and people from the neglected classes know that before the BSP formed a full majority government in Uttar Pradesh, they could neither sit on a cot in front of people from the upper classes nor muster the courage to sit on a chair at par with them.
    "But all these changed after the BSP formed a full majority government (in Uttar Pradesh) in 2007. Now these people can sit at par with them (upper-class people) with full respect," Mayawati claimed.
    "This is the real social change brought about by the BSP government under my leadership. The dreams of our saints and gurus have come true, and credit for this goes to Kanshi Ram Ji," she added.
    Mayawati also called the "politics" being done by the ruling and opposition parties over the Waqf (Amendment) Bill a matter of great concern.
    "It would have been better had this matter been resolved with consensus. The Central government must reconsider this issue," she said.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)