BJP, SP hand-in-glove to protect Dayashankar Singh: Mayawati

Lucknow, July 24 (ANI): Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati on Sunday alleged that the Akhilesh Yadav -led Samajwadi Party Government was not initiating any action against expelled Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Dayashankar Singh due to pressure from the Centre, adding that she would get this matter thoroughly investigated after coming to power in Uttar Pradesh. Addressing a press conference here, Mayawati said the BJP attempted to win the hearts of the Dalits by expelling Dayashankar. "Dayashankar's family filed an FIR against me, they should have also filed an FIR against him for using harsh words for me. If the Samajwadi Government under the pressure of BJP doesn't take action against Dayashankar then when the BSP forms the government it will order a thorough investigation into the matter," she added. Demanding action against the expelled BJP leader, Mayawati said, "His mother filed an FIR against me and demanded my arrest. I don't think Dayashankar will be arrested and punished. The BSP will fight for the Dalits, poor and will demand justice for them." "It would have been better had the BJP given same respect to a Dalit woman as they have given to Dayashankar's daughter, but they have not done so which shows the anti-Dalit mindset of the BJP," she said The BSP chief also alleged that it is a conspiracy of the BJP and the Samajwadi Party to protect Dayashankar. Singh's wife Swati yesterday demanded the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) Act to be imposed against Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati and her party colleague Naseemuddin Siddiqui. Lamenting over the abuse which she and her daughter have been facing following the expulsion of her husband from the BJP over his controversial comment on Mayawati, Swati accused the BSP members of 'traumatizing' her minor daughter. The expelled BJP leader's wife has lodged an FIR against Mayawati and Siddiqui. The BJP said that it took Dayashankar's slur very seriously and expelled him from the party, but Mayawati was 'justifying' Siddiqui's use of derogatory language. Siddiqui, however, refused to express any regret, saying he or his party workers didn't say anything "obscene" or "objectionable" during their protest against the expelled BJP leader on Thursday. Siddiqui, instead, claimed that the FIR, lodged by Dayashankar's family members, was a BJP "ploy" to "save" the expelled leader, who is absconding after being booked for making derogatory remarks against Mayawati. The BSP leader alleged that the BJP has tried to give "a new twist" to the matter to distract public attention and regain political ground lost by it due to its expelled leader's abusive remarks. Commenting on the charges that the BSP leaders raised slogans asking the expelled BJP leader to "present his daughter and sister", Siddiqui said that his party workers "only wanted to "ask them if they agreed with the derogatory remarks made by him against Mayawati. (ANI)