BSP leader Mayawati addresses the media, criticizing Rahul Gandhi’s recent apology to OBC communities as political maneuvering.
According to Mayawati, the Congress has never been truthful about the OBC community's constitutional rights or political and economic goals.
Further on the lines of abuse of the marginalized groups, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief, Mayawati, has condemned the Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s recent apology to Other Backward Classes (OBCs) outrightly, asserting that it is nothing but selfish politics. The current political melee that is gathering pace with regards to the upcoming elections was, according to Gandhi, meant to start burying the fetters of bad reputation hurled against his party concerning issues with the OBC community. Very conveniently, she implies that all this was just a ploy to win votes without any sincere intention toward assisting the weak and disadvantaged in the society.
The apology by Rahul Gandhi forms part of his effort to regain support from the OBC community, a politically critical vote bank in the Indian context. He recognized the Congress party’s past failure to speak for and adequately address the concerns of OBCs and regretted that. He further promised that inclusion and well-being for OBC s would be at the forefront of his government, should he come to power. This was perceived by many to be an attempt to recover lost ground in turf where the BJP and other regional parties had made serious inroads.
But according to Mayawati, this apology is less about misgivings and more of an election strategy. The very essence of this gesture, she insisted, was to manipulate the OBC voters, hardly bringing about any fundamental policy change. These aspirations of marginalized communities have hence become useful political leverage for many political parties, Congress included.
Mayawati is a strong proponent of Dalits, OBCs, and other marginalized communities. Criticisms against Rahul Gandhi's apology carry the baggage of frustrations with the political promises made to these communities that have over the years failed to deliver tangible development. The peculiar thing about the OBC community is that they are one of the largest and strongest voter blocs in India that often make or break elections.
By calling Gandhi’s apology “selfish politics,” Mayawati pressed for action to lend substance to empty words. She insisted that political parties must punch beyond their weight on this one and commit to implementing policies that genuinely uplift the OBCs and other underprivileged sections of society. The whole debate surrounding the apology weaves in with the very phenomena resented by political leaders in that they are never quite able to establish trust with groups that view themselves as marginalized and would feel neglected thereafter.
"The interests of Bahujans lie only in the guarantee given by the BSP. Dalits, tribals, and OBCs should not be misled by the Congress, SP, or any other party. Their happiness and prosperity depend on supporting BSP," Mayawati asserted.
