Dalit leader accuses Swami Prasad Maurya of blackmailing BJP

Dalit leader Kamlesh Paswan on Thursday accused the former BJP leader Swami Prasad Maurya of blackmailing party leadership for election tickets in the upcoming Assembly polls for family members, which the party refused.

Kamlesh Paswan said, “I am directly accusing Swami Prasad Maurya that he was seeking election tickets for some family members by blackmailing the BJP, which the party refused and so, he joined another party.” Paswan further said, “Swami Prasad Maurya was a three-time MLA. The Bharatiya Janata Party gave him honour when no one else did. He was made a Cabinet Minister but now out of greed, he went to another party. I don’t want to target him too much now but his fate is going to change after March 10.”

While speaking about BJP’s popularity among the backward and downtrodden classes in Uttar Pradesh, “The society I come from is considered very backwards and we live in the village and have done politics for the last 23 years. At present, what I am seeing now is that there are no such caste issues in the society and that would not be possible without Narendra Modi. Bharatiya Janata Party sees everyone equally”, added the Dalit leader.

Asked on Swami Prasad Maurya contesting from another seat and whether RPN Singh is going to fight from Padrauna in the upcoming Assembly election, Paswan said, “It is the party’s decision whether RPN Singh or someone else would contest from that seat. As I come from Purvanchal, I can assure you that no matter whichever seats Swami Prasad Maurya contests from anywhere in Purvanchal, the Bharatiya Janata Party defeat him.”