Mayawati slams SP's 'casteist mindset' over district name changes

BSP supremo Mayawati slammed the Samajwadi Party's 'casteist mindset' for renaming districts dedicated to Dalit/OBC icons. She thanked the Yogi Adityanath govt for restoring 'Sant Ravidas Nagar' and urged for other names to be restored.

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati on Friday accused the Samajwadi Party (SP) of possessing a "narrow casteist mindset" for changing the names of several districts dedicated to Dalit and OBC icons during its previous tenure in Uttar Pradesh. The former Uttar Pradesh CM expressed her gratitude to the current Yogi Adityanath-led government for restoring the name of 'Sant Ravidas Nagar' (Bhadohi) and appealed for the restoration of other original names, including 'Kanshiram Nagar' (Kasganj).

In a post on social media platform X, she alleged that the SP government had acted out of "malice and narrow political motives" when it reversed the naming decisions made during the BSP's rule. "As is well known from media reports, the current UP government has restored the status of Sant Ravidas Nagar district, which was originally established by the BSP government by granting Bhadohi the status of a district headquarters. The name was later changed by the Samajwadi Party (SP) government due to its narrow casteist mentality, and now it has been re-established as Sant Ravidas Nagar district. The party is grateful to the state government for this restoration," Mayawati said.

BSP's history of creating districts and SP's subsequent changes

The BSP chief highlighted that during her four terms as Chief Minister, districts like Sant Ravidas Nagar, Chhatrapati Shahuji Maharaj Nagar, and Bhim Nagar were created to streamline administration and honour great saints and gurus born among Dalits and OBCs. She said that the SP government's decision to change these names was something the "people will never forget". She added, "In fact, during all four BSP tenures in UP, numerous new districts, tehsils, development blocks, as well as police zones and ranges, were created to streamline administrative arrangements and better serve the public interest. Many of these districts were named after great saints, gurus, and icons born in the Dalit and Other Backward Classes (OBC) communities. In this sequence, several new districts like Sant Ravidas Nagar, Chhatrapati Shahuji Maharaj Nagar, and Bhim Nagar were formed, but the SP government changed their names solely due to its casteist thinking, malice, and narrow politics--an act the people will never forget."

Attack on SP's 'PDA' Slogan

Targeting the SP's 'PDA' (Pichda, Dalit, Alpasankhyak) slogan, Mayawati further alleged, "Not only this, but for the comprehensive development of the Kasganj area in the Braj region, a new district was created and named after Manyavar Shri Kanshi Ram Ji by granting Kasganj the status of a district headquarters. The SP government changed this name as well, owing to its anti-PDA (Backward, Dalit, and Minority) attitude."

Appeal to Yogi Government for Further Restorations

Urging the Uttar Pradesh government to continue the process of restoring original names, the BSP chief proposed a timeline for the same. "Under these circumstances, it would be appropriate if the UP government, similar to Sant Ravidas Nagar, restores the original names of the districts created after Manyavar Shri Kanshi Ram Ji and other great icons. If this task is completed before or on October 9, the death anniversary (Parinirvan Diwas) of Manyavar Shri Kanshi Ram Ji, the BSP will be grateful for it," she stated. (ANI)

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