UP Assembly Elections 2017: ‘Mukhtar’s win will prove he is not a bahubali’

Ansari, who has been in a Lucknow jail since 2005, is facing trial for his alleged role in the murder of BJP legislator Krishnanand Rai. He was given custody parole by a trial court from February 16 to March 4 to let him campaign in the election. The Delhi High Court, however, has set aside the lower court order.

Mukhtar’s son Abbas, who is also contesting on a BSP ticket from Ghosi in the district, was present with Mayawati on the dais.

The BSP chief alleged that though SP’s babua (Akhilesh Yadav) and BJP call Ansari a mafia and bahubali, the ground reality is that they support Raghuraj Pratap Singh alias Raja Bhaiya — a minister in the Akhilesh government, who is contesting as an Independent from Kunda in Pratapgarh.

Maintaining that former UP chief minister Kalyan Singh had called Raja Bhaiya “Kunda ka gunda”, Mayawati said: “Maine apni sarkar mein Raghuraj Pratap Singh urf Raja Bhaiya jaise naami girami mafia va bahubali ko jail bhej diya tha… woh aaj BJP va SP ki aankh ka taara bana hua hai… jisko badnami ke dar se BJP va SP seedhe apni party se inko ticket nahin deti hai…. lekin inko parde ke peechey se jitane ke liye dono partiyan inke virudhha kamzor pratyashi khada karti rahi hain… phir vah Raghuraj Pratap Singh azad ummidwaar ke roop mein asani se har baar Sapa va BJP ki madad se jeet jata hai (During my government, I had sent known mafias and bahubalis like Raghuraj Pratap Singh to jail… He is now the blue-eyed boy of SP and BJP. To avoid criticism, SP and BJP do not give him ticket but from behind the scene, ensure his win by fielding weak candidates against him. He then easily wins as an Independent with the help of SP and BJP).”

She added: “SP’s babua has still kept Raghuraj in the Cabinet… This shows SP and BJP both are indulging in double standards when they talk about mafias and bahubalis. This is why it does not suit the PM to comment on Mukhtar’s family… A number of mafias and babhubalis and their family members are contesting election on SP and BJP tickets.”

Targeting BJP further, Mayawati said while the party could not show courage to declare a chief ministerial candidate, SP’s CM face is “tainted”. “Congress was contesting the election in alliance with SP, which is known as a symbol of anarchy, crime, corruption and jungleraj. People have to decide whether they would support SP-Congress’ tainted face or BSP’s clean face, which will remove such elements and establish the rule of law,” she added.

Taking on the PM, Mayawati said Modi was “enacting a drama by calling himself the adopted son of UP”. “The drama will not work and the people would not give their blessing to the BJP. They have decided to bless their own daughter (khud ke beti) in the elections,” she added. Mayawati went on to say that she does not agree with BJP and the Centre’s attempts to interfere in Muslim personal law, triple talaq and uniform civil code.

“Mau falls in eastern UP… When people from the region go to Mumbai to earn their livelihood, they face step-motherly treatment from the BJP and Shiv Sena,” Mayawati said while appealing to the people to take
revenge.

“SP will have to be on oxygen support after results are declared… I am sure the family of Mukhtar Ansari and Afzal Ansari (Mukhtar’s brother) would bring SP towards oxygen support in eastern UP,” she claimed.

The BSP chief added: “Waise bhi inke sabhi varishtha netaon ke chehre ka noor utarne laga hai. Chuvan mein BJP ke guru Narendra Modi va unka chela Amit Shah ke saath-saath yahan SP ke babua ke tsunami wale kaafi bure din aane wale hain… khas kar ab is Sapa ke babua ko to Sapa ki bhabhi bhi nahi bacha sakti hain (Anyway, the glow on the faces of their senior leaders is fading. In the elections, alongwith BJP’s guru Narendra Modi and his disciple, SP’s son will face tsunami… and SP’s sister-in-law will also not be able to save SP’s son).”

On Akhilesh’s repeated remarks on elephant statues that were erected during the previous BSP government, Mayawati said that this way, the CM was publicising BSP’s symbol more than cycle (SP symbol).