Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) president Mayawati recently lambasted the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Congress, accusing both parties of a “highly casteist and deceitful” approach towards the late BSP founder Kanshi Ram. She contends that while they now pretend to honor his legacy, their past actions demonstrate a deep animosity towards him.
In a social media post, the BSP chief asserted that both the Samajwadi Party and the Congress consistently exhibited “deep caste bias and animosity” towards Kanshi Ram. She highlighted his pivotal role in revitalizing B.R. Ambedkar’s self-respect movement, which aimed to uplift Dalits, tribals, and other backward classes from exploited segments of society to positions of power.
Mayawati specifically called SP chief Akhilesh Yadav’s plan to host a symposium on Kanshi Ram’s death anniversary a clear example of “sheer hypocrisy,” exposing what she described as his “two-faced approach.” She further accused the Samajwadi Party of betraying Kanshi Ram during his lifetime and actively attempting to weaken the BSP movement across Uttar Pradesh.
Recalling specific instances, Ms. Mayawati pointed out that the SP government, in 2008, controversially changed the name of Kanshiram Nagar district – originally established by the BSP government – back to Kasganj. She labeled this action as driven by “caste prejudice and political malice.” Additionally, she alleged that numerous institutions, universities, and hospitals named in honor of Kanshi Ram during the BSP’s tenure were later renamed by the SP government, which she presented as undeniable proof of their “anti-Dalit mindset.”
The BSP leader also criticized both the SP and the Congress for their failure to declare even a single day of official mourning after Kanshi Ram’s passing in 2006, despite what she described as widespread grief throughout the country, particularly in Uttar Pradesh. She concluded by stating that the recurring efforts by SP and Congress leaders to commemorate Kanshi Ram are nothing more than “political opportunism and a sham aimed at vote-bank politics,” urging the public to remain vigilant and wary of such deceptive tactics. In response, the BSP is organizing a large-scale rally in Lucknow on October 9 to mark Kanshi Ram’s death anniversary.