http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/lucknow/Mayawati-to-Dalits-Our-ultimate-aim-is-to-conquer-Delhi/articleshow/11006446.cms
Mayawati to Dalits: Our ultimate aim is to conquer Delhi
Ashish Tripathi, TNN | Dec 6, 2011, 04.29PM IST
LUCKNOW: Ahead of the state assembly elections, UP chief minister and
BSP supremo Mayawati on Tuesday laid foundation of 160 development
projects worth Rs 1,500 crore on the occasion of Babasaheb Bhimrao
Ambedkar's Mahaparinirvan (death anniversary) diwas. While invoking
Ambedkar, she reminded Dalits that their ultimate aim should be to
form government at the Centre.
The projects announced by Mayawati include several related to drinking
water and electricity supply worth Rs 267 crore for the Bundelkhand
region comprising of seven districts. While Rs 179 crore have been
marked for Chitrakoot, Jhansi has been given Rs 42 crore and Mahoba Rs
14 crore. The projects will provide benefit to the people in the other
four districts as well. For other parts of the state, Rs 1233 crore
has been set aside for development projects.
Mayawati's announcement assumes importance in the light of recent
visit of deputy chairman of Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia
to Jhansi to review progress of Rs 7263 crore development project for
Bundelkhand (regions in UP and Madhya Pradesh included) sanctioned by
the Congress led UPA government at the Centre. He had expressed
dissatisfaction over the progress of work in UP.
Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi is expected to take up the
neglect of Bundelkhand development to attack Mayawati during his
second phase of poll campaign starting next week. Maya had rebutted
allegations of tardy development work progress in Bundelkhand and
accused Centre for not releasing special package of Rs 80,000 crore
she had asked for the Bundelkhand and East UP. Now, by announcing
projects for Bundelkhand, what she claimed has been done from 'limited
state resources', she has tried to counter Congress's attack in the
run up to assembly elections due in April 2012.
Mayawati made announcements after paying tribute to Ambedkar. While
addressing hundreds of party workers assembled at Smajik Prerna Sthal,
a memorial built for Dalit icons in Lucknow, Maya lashed out at
Opposition parties for targeting her party leaders through media over
the corruption issue and exhorted her supporters to give a befitting
reply to rivals by ensuring the victory of BSP in the coming assembly
polls.
Mayawati said Opposition parties were constantly attacking her party
and its leaders on petty issues because they have no other issues to
talk about.
"With only some time left for the assembly polls, Opposition have lost
their sleep," she said. Describing rival parties as anti-Dalit, she
said that none of them gave due honour to dalit saints and leaders and
created hurdles in construction of Dalit memorials in UP by her
government.
She also said that only BSP is taking forward the work started by
Babasaheb to uplift and empower Dalits and marginalised sections of
the society. However, she added, despite working relentlessly for the
cause for last two decades, still a lot has to be done for the masses
suppressed since ages. She claimed that her government has been
working for poor in all castes and communities, particularly Dalits,
backwards, muslims and poor among upper castes.
Exhibiting her prime ministerial ambition again, Mayawati said
"Babasaheb struggled to provide Dalits rights in the Constitution to
bring them at par with other sections of society and now we have to
take his mission to all the corners of the country". She implored that
Dalits to keep in mind that they not only have to ensure BSP's victory
in UP but also have to capture power in Delhi.
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