SP showed its true character in guest house episode: Yogi

Lucknow: With political parties vying to establish their pro-Dalit credentials in the run up to the 2027 assembly polls, chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday tore into the Samajwadi Party, raising the infamous 1995 VVIP Guest House issue when members of SP had allegedly attacked BSP chief Mayawati over the withdrawal of her support to their government.Addressing an event to mark the 135th birth anniversary of Dr BR Ambedkar in Lucknow, Yogi said: “The Samajwadi Party had revealed its true character through its brutal treatment of women in the State Guest House episode. Meanwhile, Congress tried to keep Babasaheb away from elections and conspired to prevent him from receiving the Bharat Ratna. Although Congress now carries copies of the Constitution, its true nature must be understood.”On Tuesday, the CM first paid floral tributes at Ambedkar’s statue in Hazratganj and later participated in a programme at the Dr Ambedkar Mahasabha where he released a souvenir and virtually inaugurated the foundation work for the beautification and conservation of 75 statues of Ambedkar across all 75 districts in the state.Taking on Opposition parties, the CM said that those who were shedding crocodile tears for Dalits should explain what they have actually done in Ambedkar’s name and what inspiration they have taken from his ideals.Saying that selective outrage by political parties will not work, the CM said that people were aware of who it was who had threatened to demolish Dalit memorials after he became CM.“Those who are dividing society on caste lines must explain why they remained silent when a Dalit youth was burned in Bangladesh. Dr Ambedkar dedicated his life to realising the vision of Ek Bharat-Shreshtra Bharat and ensuring justice for Dalits, the deprived, and the poor. There are selfish forces who are merely pretending to remember him for their own benefit,” he said.He questioned SP for having changed the names of districts, KGMU, the Language University, and Kannauj Medical College, named after Dalit icons, also accusing it of depriving Dalits and the poor of land rights and not allowing implementation of schemes like Swachh Bharat Mission and PM Awas Yojana.Announcing that the government would honour social reformers like Sant Ravidas, Mahatma Jyotiba Phule, Maharshi Valmiki etc, the CM said that in Varanasi, a large park, statue, four-lane road, and guest house were built at Sant Ravidas’s birthplace. Action was also taken against encroachments at Maharshi Valmiki’s site in Chitrakoot and infrastructure developed there, including roads and a ropeway, he said, adding that Prime Minister Narendra Modi named the Ayodhya international airport after Maharshi Valmiki.“The government is developing the Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar International Cultural and Research Centre in Lucknow. The first phase is nearly complete, and the second phase is expected by July. The centre will provide research opportunities, hostels, an auditorium, and a grand statue, aiming to promote social justice and awareness,” he said.The CM added that the Centre had developed the ‘Panch Teerth’ associated with Ambedkar, while recently in Lakhimpur Kheri, 4,356 Tharu tribal families were granted land ownership rights. In addition to this, Dalit Hindus who migrated from Bangladesh in 1971 and had been waiting for 55 years were given land titles, he added.