Mayawati invokes Ambedkar to endorse J&K move, hits out at Oppn over Srinagar visit

Maintaining that B R Ambedkar was never in favour of Article 370, the BSP chief said that was why the BSP supported abrogation of special status to J&K. She said that since this was done after 69 years, it would obviously take time for the situation to become normal, and people should wait for some time.

In multiple tweets in Hindi on Monday, Mayawati stated: “Babasaheb Ambedkar was always a supporter of uniformity and unity of the country and that is why he was never in favour of Article 370 for Jammu and Kashmir. It was for this reason that the BSP also supported its abrogation in Parliament. But since [special status to J&K under] Article 370 has been scrapped 69 years after implementation of the Constitution, the situation will take time to become normal. It would be better to wait for this, as the [Supreme] Court has also accepted.”

In this scenario, she asked, “would the recent visit by leaders of the Congress and other parties to Kashmir without permission not be considered as a step to give chance to the Centre and Governor to do politics? It would be better if some thought is given before such visits.”

State minister and senior BJP leader Srikant Sharma later welcomed Mayawati’s statement on Article 370 and asked other leaders, including Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, to take lessons from her and support the Centre’s move in the interest of national unity.

Later in the day, the BSP chief alleged that barring her party, the approach of all governments previous in Uttar Pradesh, including the present one, has been similar on the law and order situation. She claimed that while earlier there was “jungleraj” or “halla bol”, today it is “mob lynching”.

While SP chief Akhilesh Yadav alleged that investigating agencies are being “misused” by the Yogi Adityanath government, Mayawati, without naming anyone, said agencies had been misused by most governments — be it at the state or the Centre.

A few days ago, Mayawati had distanced herself and her party from the Bhim Army’s protest in Delhi over the demolition of Ravidas temple and had maintained that CrPC Section 144 should be respected.