There was no contribution of the Nehru-Gandhi family in giving rights to dalits and backwards, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati alleged on Monday."Whatever rights dalits and backwards had is due to Bhim Rao Ambedkar and there is no contribution of Nehru-Gandhi family," Mayawati said addressing a gathering after inaugurating 'Bhim Rao Ambedkar Samajik Parivartan Sthal' in Lucknow. Alleging that "Congress and company" had conspired against Ambedkar so that he could not become a member of the Constituent Assembly, Mayawati said during partition Congress had ceded a particular area in West Bengal, represented by Ambedkar, to Pakistan so that he could not become a member.The area had 42 per cent Muslim population and 58 per cent Hindu, but was given to Pakistan only to prevent Ambedkar from becoming member of the Constituent Assembly, she claimed and asked BSP workers to beware "Congress and Company".The Chief Minister said Ambedkar went to England and met leaders of the government, who then put a condition before the Congress leadership that India would be given freedom if Amedkar did not become as member of Constituent Assembly.Later, Ambedkar was elected from Pune and became a member of the Constituent Assembly in July 9, 1947, she said. Taking potshots at BJP, Mayawati said it was due to Ambedkar that the Indian Constitution was secular and not based on Hindutva ideology propagated by BJP.Mayawati said reservation benefits for dalits and OBCs were not given by Congress or any other party but it was due to Ambedkar such a provision was incorporated in the Constitution.Trying to corner opposition parties for their allegation of misuse of government funds while renovating Ambedkar Park in Lucknow, Mayawati said when the Congress had constructed memorials of their leaders in New Delhi, where land cost was worth crores of rupees, no one raised any question. But a hue and cry was raised when funds were spent on memorial of dalit icon Ambedkar.Favouring a change in the mindset of political parties for dalits, Mayawati said they still adopted castiest mentality when it came to memorials in the name of dalit icons. Alleging that previous Samajwadi Party government in the state did not maintain Ambedkar park and even tried to demolish it, Mayawati said taking serious view of this, the BSP government had renovated the park."Even opposition parties are creating hurdles in renovation work of the park," she alleged. She said the park also had a gallery in which contribution of dalit icons was highlighted.
