Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], March 14 : Former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati advised the followers and supporters of Bahujan Samaj Party's founder Kanshi Ram to "stay alert" against Congress, stating that it was their "anti-Dalit mindset and mentality" that led to the creation of BSP.
Mayawati also said that Congress never accorded due respect to Bhimrao Ambedkar and neither declared a single day of national mourning upon the passing of Kanshi Ram.
This comes as Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi attended a birth anniversary programme of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) founder Kanshi Ram in Lucknow on Friday.
"As is well known, the Congress Party, during its many years in power at the centre, never accorded due respect and honour to the messiah of Dalits and the chief architect of the Indian Constitution, the most revered Baba Saheb Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar, nor did it bestow upon him the title of 'Bharat Ratna.' So how can this party now honour the respected Shri Kanshiram Ji with this title?" Mayawati said in a post on X.
"It was this very Congress Party, while in power at the centre, that did not even declare a single day of national mourning upon the passing of these (the respected Shri Kanshiram Ji), nor did the SP government in U.P. at that time declare any state mourning. Similarly, numerous organisations and parties formed by the Dalit community, which have fallen into the hands of other parties, are always engaged in exploiting his name for their gain," she added.
Mayawati saw Congress's actions as "tactics" to weaken the BSP party.
"Now, all these parties are constantly employing all sorts of tactics to weaken the BSP party founded by the respected Shri Kanshiram Ji. Therefore, his followers and supporters must always remain vigilant against them. They must especially stay alert to the Congress Party, due to whose anti-Dalit mindset and mentality the BSP had to be created in the first place," she said.
She further appealed to the party workers and supporters to join i the programs organised by BSP on the occasion of the birth anniversary of Kanshi Ram.
"At the same time, on the occasion of the respected Shri Kanshiram Ji's birth anniversary tomorrow, March 15, 2026, party members must ensure the success of all programs of the party he founded, the BSP, across the country, including in U.P.--this is the appeal," she said.
Rahul Gandhi at the birth anniversary programme honoured the legacy of Kanshi Ram and said, "If Jawaharlal Nehru were alive, then Kanshi Ram would have been a chief minister from the Congress."
In 1984, Kanshi Ram founded the Bahujan Samaj Party with the objective of uniting the Bahujan Samaj, comprising Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Classes, and Religious Minorities, into a formidable political force.
He remained steadfast in his commitment to the cause of social transformation and economic emancipation. He tirelessly mobilised support among the Bahujan communities, inspiring millions to join the movement for equality and justice.