New Delhi: Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati today threatened to quit the Rajya Sabha after she was not allowed to speak in the Upper house on the issue of atrocities against Dalits and alleged increasing incidents of lynching against them. Subsequently she resigned and handed over her resignation letter to the vice president Hamid Ansari. Soon after the laying of papers, Ms Mayawati sought to raise the issue of lynching of Dalits and minorities.
Raising the issue, she said,'Since the time the BJP has come to power, there has been increasing exploitation of the Dalits, the poor, minorities, and backward castes.' Bringing up the issue of the anti-Dalit violence in Saharanpur during the birth anniversary celebrations of late Babasaheb Ambedkar, Ms Mayawati said, "The Dalits were suppressed in Saharanpur. However, the government did nothing about it.
No community is safe in Uttar Pradesh but the condition of the Dalits is worse.' As she was speaking, Deputy Chairman P J Kurien asked her to cut short her talk as she had exceeded the three minutes given to her. Protesting against not being allowed to speak, 'If I'm not allowed to speak now, I will resign right away. I will come and give my resignation right now.' Trying to pacify her, Prof Kurien said she could only call for a discussion after giving a Notice under Rule 267, which seeks adjournment of proceedings to take up an issue. He said she could not make a speech to initiate a discussion. 'Then, a discussion can begin only after the Chair, on the advice of the government, accepts the notice and agrees for a discussion,' Prof Kurien said.
Continuing to protest, Ms Mayawati said,' If I am not allowed to put across my views on atrocities against Dalits I have no moral right to be in the House.' Immediately after, she went out of the House. Reacting to Ms Mayawati’s statement, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said she was politicising the issue.
He said the people had given the BJP a mandate in Uttar Pradesh. Rising on his seat, Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad said in the all-party meeting, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had promised that the Opposition would be allowed to raise the issues concerning the common man but now the government was breaking this promise by not allowing the Opposition to put across their points.
On Mr Naqvi’s statement, Mr Azad wondered whether the BJP had got a mandate for oppressing the Dalits and minorities. Mr Naqvi said that Ms Mayawati had "insulted the Chair" and must apologise. BSP members were immediately on their feet, entering into the Well and shouting slogans against the government. Opposition leaders, including the Left parties, supported Ms Mayawati. Mr Sitaram Yechury of the CPM said the government has not fulfilled its promises and was not willing to hear the Opposition's voice. (UNI)
