'Mayawati politicising Ambedkar birth anniversary'

Hitting out at Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati for allegedly politicising the anniversary of Dalit icon Bhimrao Ambedkar, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday said her party was losing its base in all the states, including Uttar Pradesh.

"Mayawati, who has been accusing opposition parties of doing politics in the name of Dr Ambedkar, herself asked Muslims not to get misled and appealed them to vote in favour of her party," BJP spokesperson Vijay Bahadur Pathak said.

Questioning whether legends be stamped by a particular party, Pathak said, "BJP had already been observing birth anniversary of Ambedkar as Samrasta Diwas to propagate his ideology and works for social equality." He said the entire BJP family was making efforts to remove the ill of untouchability and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's slogan of Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas was an example of that.

"Why the BSP supremo is limiting Baba Saheb to a restricted area. More than 120 crore (1.2 billion) people of the country have faith in the Constitution and they are following it and they are observing the day in their own manner," he said.

"Mayawati, while accusing BJP of not honouring Ambedkar, used an apolitical platform to appeal Muslims not to repeat the mistake of 2014 Lok Sabha polls and to vote for BSP in 2017 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections," the spokesperson said.

He said to give wings to ideology of Ambedkar and Jan Sangh's founder Deen Dayal Upadhayay, the prime minister has set up a monetary fund to help marginal workers get jobs.

The Union government was working for upliftment of downtrodden section of the society and to make them self-dependent, Pathak said.