More atrocities on Dalits during Cong rule: Maya

Lucknow: Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati on Thursday claimed eight Dalit students had committed suicide during the previous two Congress-led UPA governments at Centre.
Referring to Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi's visiting Hyderabad university following suicide of Dalit scholar Rohith Vemula, Mayawati said it was a sheer politicking to lap up Dalit votes and added that Ambedkar Student Association (ASA) was formed in response to atrocities on Dalits during Congress rule."The humiliation, the oppression faced by Dalits in Hyderabad has been going on for a year. But none of the leaders bothered to address it. "Now, with elections round the corner, everyone is turning towards Hyderabad," she said.
Significantly, Mayawati did not visit Hyderabad University after Vemula committed suicide and instead sent her Rajya Sabha MP Veer Singh to meet the family. Later, Vemula's family had met Mayawati in Delhi.
The BSP chief exhorted Dalit youth not to succumb to atrocities committed against them. "Fight back, as it is unfortunate how Rohith committed suicide. Babasaheb was always in favour of fighting the oppressors instead of committing suicide," she said.
Mayawati sharpened her attack on Congress further saying the grand old party cannot claim to be supporter of Ambedkar. "The Congress first used Babu Jagjeevan Ram against B R Ambedkar. Next, they ensured Ambedkar lost parliamentary elections in 1966," said Mayawati. Not only the Congress, the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi too have been celebrating birth anniversary of the same Jagjeevan Ram for the past many years.
The BSP boss said Congress used CBI to corner her in Taj Heritage Corridor and disproportionate asset cases. She said just when she came out clean, Congress backed one Kamlesh Verma to file a petition against her. "Congress had given him ticket to contest elections first in Madhya Pradesh and then in Charkhari assembly constituency of UP," she said.