4 days ago
BSP was compelled to bring back Akash Anand: Nagina MP
Azad Samaj Party (ASP) chief Chandra Shekhar Azad on Sunday attacked recently appointed Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief national coordinator Akash Anand, and stated that people had rejected him.
'Due to compulsions, the BSP opened its doors for him even after his expulsion. There is no option for the BSP,' said Azad, who's also the Lok Sabha member from Nagina. Azad was speaking at the 'Astitva Bachao - Bhai Chara Banao' (Save Existence – Build Brotherhood) - Parbudh Jan Sammelan at the KGMU Convention Center auditorium here.
The BSP is projecting Akash as the young face of the party to take on the challenges posed by Azad, who is working to expand the base of his party among the Dalit community. Soon, Anand is expected to be made the political heir of BSP chief Mayawati.
Lashing out at the BSP, Azad said the ASP would fulfil the dreams of Dalit icons Bhim Rao Ambedkar and Kanshi Ram.
The ASP organised the Sammelan in the state capital to send a message to the Dalit community. Along with the dominant Jatav community members, members of Dalit, OBC and Muslim communities were also invited to the meeting. While the BSP is battling to save its national party status and resolve the infighting in the party, Azad is seeing an opportunity to expand the base of his party in the area that has been dominated by the BSP.
The ASP chief called upon the party members to strengthen the organisation before the 2027 assembly election. 'Political power will empower the weaker section. Several people belonging to the Dalit community have died in police custody in Uttar Pradesh. The police have become a tool of the government to commit atrocities on the weak. The people should unite to grab power in the 2027 assembly election,' he said.
The deliberate attempt not to conduct a caste-based census of Other Backward Classes (OBCs) by the central government was a well-planned conspiracy against the principles of social justice, he noted and added this was an attempt to suppress the actual number of Bahujan Samaj and their rights.
'The present government is engaged in making reservations ineffective and weakening the basic spirit of the Constitution. We have to remain constantly vigilant and organised to protect the constitutional rights given by Bhim Rao Ambedkar,' he said.
'It is necessary that scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and backward classes get reservation in the private sector too, so that inclusive development can be ensured,' he added.
Raising questions over electronic voting machines (EVMs), the MP said they were against the transparency of democracy and public trust. 'This system seems to be a part of the conspiracy of the ruling class, whose aim is to control the election process,' he said.
