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India's Dalit champion Mayawati's £285,000 cash garland causes outrage
Mayawati, the Dalit governor of Uttar Pradesh, India's most populous -
and poorest - state, has been criticised after appearing at a party
rally wearing a garland made of 1,000-ruppee banknotes worth as much
as £285,000.
Published: 12:06AM GMT 17 Mar 2010
The controversial politician - India's first woman Dalit (formerly
"untouchable"
the poor, and has a huge following among those at the bottom of the
Hindu caste system. But she is often criticised for having amassed
vast personal wealth.
Outrage from opposition parties led to the adjournment of the national
parliament in New Delhi on Tuesday.
The controversy gives further ammunition to the Congress party-led
federal coalition in New Delhi, which is aggressively campaigning to
win over the key state of Uttar Pradesh in 2012.
Dislodging strong regional parties is seen as key to Congress' ability
to push through painful structural economic and political reforms to
modernise Asia's third largest economy in the years ahead.
Uttar Pradesh is politically important because it is the state that
sends the most lawmakers to the national parliament. But the state is
also home to about eight per cent of the world's poorest people.
"(She) mocks the people of the state by her extravagance,
Tewari, a Congress party spokesman. "Her priorities get very clearly
reflected."
The BSP said the money was from donations by supporters but has not
yet commented on the amount spent on the overall celebration.
Rival parties charged that Mayawati, a former teacher, spent as much
as two billion rupees (£29 million) to bus in supporters from the
countryside to fill up an 80-acre ground decorated with flowers.
Television channels re-ran footage of BSP leaders hauling up the
several metres-long garland made up of 1,000 rupee (£14) notes and
presenting it to Mayawati.
Mayawati has faced criticism in the past for her celebrations and for
building parks with massive statues of Dalit icons and leaders
including herself. She has also been accused of using public funds for
her party, a charge she denies.
While parties have generally had extravagant campaigns, the Congress
and main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party have of late sought to
project an austere face and limit lavish spending in the face of
increasing public and media scrutiny.
Monday's rally was seen as kicking off Mayawati's bid to return to
power in 2012 in the face of a rising challenge from the Congress
party, which heads the federal coalition and whose top leaders have
begun wooing Dalits in the state.
Her supporters say her acts are a source of inspiration to the
millions of Dalits who have traditionally been forbidden from displays
of well-being and fill them with a sense of pride.
But a lack of improvement of economic conditions under her government
has eroded some support and a revival of the Congress party. The BSP
has lost some elections after its thumping win in 2007, while the
Congress performed better than expected.
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