http://www.hindu.com/2010/03/16/stories/2010031663681100.htmFront Page
Mayawati sees conspiracy on symbol issue
Atiq Khan
"Elephant statues erected in memorials for Dalit icons have nothing to
do with BSP symbol"
LUCKNOW: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati on Monday attributed
the purported move to freeze her Bahujan Samaj Party's election
symbol, elephant, to a "conspiracy" backed by the Opposition parties.
She rejected talk that the elephant statues erected in parks and
memorials for Dalit icons had something to do with the symbol. In the
statues, the elephants were shown in *swagat mudra' (welcome posture)
with their snouts up, whereas the BSP's symbol shows the elephant with
its snout down, she said addressing a mammoth rally organised here to
mark the 25th anniversary of the party's formation and the birth
anniversary of its founder Kanshi Ram. The BSP has to submit to the
Election Commission on March 18 its reply to a petition filed against
the elephant statues.If the elephant statues could be brought to the
Commission's notice since the jumbo is the BSP symbol, the Commission
should take note of the Congress' symbol of *hand' and the Samajwadi
Party's *bicycle,' she said. Bicycles were being distributed to girls
under the Savitribai Phule Scheme launched by the BSP Government and
the hand was used by leaders of all parties to welcome people. "In
that case, the hand and cycle symbols should be de-registered," she
said.
Ms. Mayawati also justified the erection of her own statues. "Is there
any law in the country that bans the erection of statues of living
leaders, and can funds be spent only on erecting statues of dead
leaders and not the living ones?" The statues of Jawaharlal Nehru,
Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi were erected throughout the country by
the Congress; many schemes, colleges, universities, airports, railway
stations and roads using government funds were named after them. In 63
years since Independence, she said, crores had been spent on building
memorials and museums for the Gandhi-Nehru family. However, when
statues of and memorials to Kanshi Ram and other Dalit icons were
built, the Opposition charged the BSP with misusing government funds.
Congress anti-Dalit'
Ms. Mayawati termed the Congress anti-Dalit, arguing that it supported
the caste system. She blamed the Congress regimes for corruption in UP
and accused the Centre of stalling the State's development by not
releasing funds. The BSP, she said, had achieved much more in the 25
years of its existence than what the 125-year-old Congress gained in
the first 25 years of its formation.The Chief Minister accused the
Congress and the Opposition parties of trying to finish the BSP in the
last 25 years by making baseless allegations against Mr. Kanshi Ram
and engineering a split in the party. She also mentioned the moves to
corner her in the Taj Corridor and disproportionate assets case. Ms.
Mayawati expressed the satisfaction that despite the tirade, she had
managed to strengthen the BSP movement. She cautioned the party
workers against the designs of the Congress, which, she said was
trying to regain power in the State.The BSP rally was one of the
biggest seen here in recent years with party workers from all parts of
the country. Opposing the Women's Reservation Bill in its present
form, Ms. Mayawati said her party would stage dharnas in district
headquarters on April 14. She also warned of a nationwide agitation if
the Centre does not bring prices down.
Opposition parties try to get BSP symbol frozenElephant shown in
statues is different from what BSP symbol shows.
Probe into sudden appearance of bees
PTI reports:
'Stung' by the sudden appearance of a huge swarm of honey bees at the
venue of the rally, the Uttar Pradesh government has ordered an
inquiry.
"Someone disturbed honey bees at the nearby central school building by
lighting a fire below the hive, following which they hovered over the
Rama Bai Ambedkar maidan for about an hour," a government release said
here.
The inquiry will reveal the mischievous elements behind the incident, it added.
------------------------------------
----
INFORMATION OVERLOAD?
Get all ZESTCaste mails sent out in a span of 24 hours in a single mail. Subscribe to the daily digest version by sending a blank mail to ZESTMedia-digest@yahoogroups.com, OR, if you have a Yahoo! Id, change your settings at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTMedia/join/
PARTICIPATE:-
On this list you can share caste news, discuss caste issues and network with like-minded anti-caste people from across India and the world. Just write to zestcaste@yahoogroups.com
TELL FRIENDS TO SIGN UP:-
If you got this mail as a forward, subscribe to ZESTCaste by sending a blank mail to ZESTCaste-subscribe@yahoogroups.com OR, if you have a Yahoo! ID, by visiting http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTCaste/join/
Also have a look at our sister list, ZESTMedia: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTMedia/Yahoo! Groups Links
<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTCaste/
<*> Your email settings:
Individual Email | Traditional
<*> To change settings online go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTCaste/join
(Yahoo! ID required)
<*> To change settings via email:
ZESTCaste-digest@yahoogroups.com
ZESTCaste-fullfeatured@yahoogroups.com
<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
ZESTCaste-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
