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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ED raids Karnataka Cong MLA Satish Krishna Sail, others in illegal iron ore export case
Bengaluru (PTI): The Enforcement Directorate on Wednesday raided premises linked to Karnataka Congress MLA Satish Krishna Sail and some others as part of a money laundering investigation against the legislator in a case related to alleged illegal export of iron ore, official sources said.
At least 15 premises in Karnataka, Goa and Mumbai are being searched under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), the sources said.
Sail is a Congress MLA representing the Karwar assembly constituency in Uttara Kannada district.
Sail, according to the sources, has been accused of exporting illegally mined iron ore which was seized by forest officials at Belekeri port in Karwar, Karnataka.
This caused "loss" to government exchequer for an amount of about Rs 38 crore but the actual value of illegally exported ore is worth hundreds of crores of rupees, the sources said.
The case originated from a 2010 probe by the Karnataka Lokayukta, which discovered about eight lakh tons of illegally transported iron ore from Bellary to Belekeri port.
The Karnataka High Court last year had ordered the suspension of the seven-year prison sentence of the MLA in this case.
A special court had previously found Sail and others guilty in multiple cases related to the illegal export of iron ore from the Belekeri port.
