Bhima-Koregaon violence: Mayawati terms Centre, Maharashtra govt casteist

Terming the Centre and Maharashtra government of being "casteist" in nature, BSP chief Mayawati on Saturday accused the latter of trying to save the two main accused in the violence that took place at Bhima-Koregaon near Pune in which one person was killed.

Milind Ekbote of Samast Hindu Aghadi and Sambhaji Bhide, the founder of Shiv Pratishthan Hindustan, were booked under relevant sections of SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act for allegedly "orchestrating" the violence at the anniversary celebrations of the battle fought 200 years ago in Bhima- Koregaon.

In a statement here today, Mayawati said, "Non-acceptance of holding a discussion on Bhima-Koregaon incident in the Rajya Sabha (as demanded by the BSP), shows the casteist attitude of the both the Centre and Maharashtra government."

"If the Maharashtra government failed in giving protection to the Dalits, the Centre failed to fix responsibility," she said.

The BSP supremo also claimed that despite an FIR registered against the two leaders, no arrests have been made so far.

"This proves that the BJP government in Maharashtra is trying to save the culprits," she said.

Mayawati claimed that people in Gujarat have given a befitting reply to the BJP in the recently-concluded Assembly elections, and the people in Maharashtra too are fed-up with their government.

"This will not stop here, as under the BJP governments, atrocities against Dalits, poor and backward castes are continuing," she said.