Just as the proceedings for the second day of the Monsoon session began BSP Chief Mayawati played her move everyone was expecting. When Ram Nath Kovind a Dalit leader was announced as the NDA candidate for the Presidential Poll everyone was aware of the fact that Mayawati would make a counter move taking advantage of this situation. But no one knew, when, how or what the move would be.
As soon as the houses meet for the session on Tuesday Mayawati was all charged up and demanded that she should be given more time to speak on the atrocities the Dalits suffered in UP in the recent weeks. She directly attacked BJP saying that ever since BJP has gained power at the centre and all the BJP ruled states have been practicing their principle of casteism, communal and capitalist mindset and their motive of keeping their political interest and gains uppermost. These policies of BJP have been committing atrocities on the poor, Dalits, backward, minorities, laborers, farmers and the middle class, she further added.
She further alleged the UP government of using a special organisation to give the violence casteist color and deliberately playing a well planned political conspiracy against the Dalits in the state. She further added that she wanted to draw the attention of the House to the violence against Dalits in Saharanpur and demanded more time to speak.
When Deputy Chairperson PJ Kurien refused to give her more time, Mayawati angrily reacted saying that if she did not have the liberty to speak and represent the grievances of her people than she should immediately resign. “If I am not able to put forth my view in the House then I would like to resign today itself,” Mayawati said, adding, “If I am not able to protect the interest of the community I belong to, to raise the issues of their welfare, the atrocities against them in the House then I have no moral right to carry on in this House.”
Mayawati sent her resignation to Vice-President Hamid Ansari a few hours later and gave her statement to the press that the government had tried to prevent her from speaking at the Parliament and hence she gave her resignation. However, Mayawati’s Rajya Sabha term was to end on April 2, 2018. Ahead of the general elections due in 2019, this tactful move of Mayawati is been regarded as another political play to win the minority votes.