Statue politics: BJP for installing statues of Kabir, Ravidas in Maya's parks

Lucknow: Attacking Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati, BJP on Monday said that if voted to power, it will install statues of saints like Kabir, Ravidas and other great personalities, irrespective of their caste, in the memorials and parks set up by the BSP supremo. “There is no place for self-glorification in BJP’s dream Uttar Pradesh. If BJP comes to power, statues of Kabir, Sant Ravidas, martyr Uda Devi, Jhalkari Bai and Bijli Pasi, and other great personalities of all sections will be installed in memorials and parks constructed during Mayawati regime,” the party’s vision document, released by its president Nitin Gadkari said. Slamming Mayawati for spending thousands of crore rupees on memorials and parks, the 53-page document titled ‘Hamare Sapno Ka Uttar Pradesh’, said the institutes, memorials and parks constructed from state exchequer were not the private property of BSP. [caption id=“attachment_184397” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“jgjhhj”] [/caption] During his speech, Gadkari also accused the Congress of doing politics on the Batla House encounter case, BJP President Nitin Gadkari on Monday sought an explanation from Sonia Gandhi on the “contradictory” statements by the government and her party leaders on the issue. “In Batla House encounter, while Prime Minister and Home Minister are saying something else, Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh is saying something else…party president Sonia Gandhi should clarify the situation,” Gadkari said, releasing BJP’s ‘vision document’ for speedy and balanced development of Uttar Pradesh. Attacking the ruling BSP in the state for “playing caste politics”, he said, “Starvation, unemployment and inflation could be removed…it has no relation with any caste or religion, but it is related to corrupt administration and wrong economic policies.” Gadkari also lashed out at the Congress-led UPA government for fixing a separate quota of 4.5 percent for minorities within 27 percent reservation for OBCs. “Politics of appeasement is being done by the party merely for votes…Congress which has been in power for so long has done nothing but cheated Muslims,” he alleged. Targetting Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi for promising to change picture of the state in five years, he said, “Congress ruled the state for 33 years. So, for the poor state of affairs and compulsion for state youths to go to other states for job, if Congress is not responsible then who else is.” He said BJP would form the government on its own and would not forge alliance with SP or BSP. He said that instead of caste and religion, the slogans of politics in the 21st century should be 24 hours power, road in every village and work to every hand. Gadkari said in its vision document, the party has targetted to generate one crore jobs in industrial, handloom, handicraft, IT and service sector. In its 53-page document titled ‘Hamare Sapno Ka Uttar Pradesh’, BJP has promised to increase income of farmers by Rs 10,000 crore every year by increasing per hectare production of cane from 100 to 125 tonnes and generate 6,000 MW power from sugar mills and 20,000 MW from 10 ultra mega power projects. It has also promised metro and rapid transport facilities in all big cities of the state. PTI