BSP chief Mayawati holds review meeting of party

In the meeting, held at the BSP's state office at 12, Mall Avenue in the state capital, Ms Mayawati did an intensive review of the progress report in line with the directions given in the meeting held in New Delhi last month. Besides, certain necessary changes in the responsibilities were also made in view of the outlined shortcomings.

The party chief also issued important directions and guidelines considering the existing flaws during the district-wise review, the progress of which will be consistently reviewed.

Taking a jibe at the BJP government, Ms Mayawati said if only a fraction of interest shown by the Union and state governments of the saffron party in extending reservation on economic basis as well as giving the Maratha community in Maharashtra the benefits of the OBC reservation was shown in filling the SC, ST, OBC posts lying vacant since long, these oppressed sections would have been benefitted.

However, she said that the real claimants of this reservation, the exploited and the weak sections were still victims of oppression which proves the casteist policy and the narrow mindset of the BJP government.

Ms Mayawati said that the demand for increasing the quota of the SC and OBC sections in proportion to their population will be natural and justified if the limit of the reservation by some states is increased from 50 per cent, since the real will of the Constitution is to bring these oppressed classes in the country's mainstream through the benefits of reservation.

Reiterating her stand on 17 backward castes which will be given Scheduled Caste certificates by the state government, Ms Mayawati said that this was being done in not only an illegal but an unconstitutional manner and now these 17 castes will remain deprived of any kind of reservation.

The BSP chief said that this was being done in the same manner in which the earlier Samajwadi Party government had done to 'deceive' these people and reap 'political benefits.'

At the review meeting, Ms Mayawati directed the party office-bearers to reach out to the people and understand their pain and anguish as the common people were 'suffering' under the BJP rule.

The former UP CM further said that not only the poor but all other members of society were also suffering due to a failure of crime control and deteriorating law and order situation.

No section of society, be it traders or lawyers are safe nowadays. Even the government workers and police are not secure. Victimisation of women, Dalit oppression, political murders and injustice-torture on the minority community have become common now. The criminals have no fear of law as they have every kind of government protection, she alleged.