Mayawati rejects Rahul Gandhi's alliance offer, calls Cong 'casteist' and 'two-faced'
Lucknow, Feb 22 (PTI): Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati on Thursday accused the Congress of 'dual character and casteist mindset' after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi questioned her party's present political approach.
"Wherever the Congress is strong or in power, it harbours hostility and casteist attitudes towards BSP and its followers. But in states like UP, where it is weak, it tries to mislead people by talking about an alliance with BSP. If this is not hypocrisy, then what is?" Mayawati said in a post on X.
Mayawati's post came soon after Gandhi, on the first day of his visit to his Raebareli Lok Sabha constituency on Thursday, virtually accused her of staying away from anti-BJP front or the INDIA bloc during the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
"I wanted Behenji to fight alongside us against the BJP, but for some reason, she did not. That was deeply disappointing. If all three parties had united, the BJP would never have won," Gandhi said while interacting with Dalit students in Raebareli.
Congress and Samajwadi Party had contested the 2024 polls together in Uttar Pradesh and succeeded in limiting the BJP's advance in the most populous state winning 43 seats including Faizabad Lok Sabha seat.
Hitting back at Gandhi, Mayawati accused the Congress of having a "dual character" and a "casteist mindset" towards BSP supporters.
She further argued that past alliances with Congress had always been detrimental to the BSP.
"Whenever BSP allied with Congress or other casteist parties, our base vote got transferred to them. But this was never reciprocated. As a result, BSP always suffered losses," she said in her X post.
Also targeting the BJP, she said, "They (Congress and BJP) have consistently opposed Dr BR Ambedkar, the BSP, its leadership, Dalit-Bahujan followers, and the reservation system."
"Their policies have hindered the nation's constitutional goal of equality and welfare, which is deeply concerning," she said.
Interestingly, Gandhi during his interaction with Dalit students had started by praising Mayawati.
Gandhi spoke about BSP founder Kanshi Ram's role in Indian politics.
"I believe Kanshi Ram Ji laid the foundation, and Behenji (Mayawati) built upon it," he said before questioning her present political stance.
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Nora Fatehi apologises before NCW over 'Sarke Chunar' row, vows support for orphan girls
New Delhi (PTI): Actor Nora Fatehi on Thursday appeared before the National Commission for Women in connection with a controversy surrounding the song 'Sarke Chunar' and apologised, saying there was "no intention to offend anybody."
Speaking to reporters after the hearing, Fatehi said she had been put in a situation unintentionally but acknowledged her responsibility as an artist.
"It was just a situation that I was put in, and there was no intention to offend anybody. But of course, I have to be responsible as an artiste. I definitely apologise, we have done everything in writing. They have been so kind and helpful," she said.
The actor also said she has decided to sponsor the education of a few orphan girls.
"It's really important for us to give back to society. So, I decided that we should sponsor a few orphan girls, their education, so that is the goal after this matter," she said.
Earlier, Fatehi distanced herself from the Hindi version of the song, saying she had shot the Kannada version and that her permission was not taken for its use in Hindi.
The Hindi version of the song, released on March 15 on YouTube, triggered outrage among a section of the public over its allegedly explicit lyrics.
Following the backlash, the makers removed the Hindi version from YouTube, though it continued to circulate across platforms. The lyricist, singer and director have also issued apologies.
'KD The Devil' is a Kannada film, dubbed in four languages, including Hindi.
