Mayawati expels nephew Akash Anand from BSP

Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], March 3 (ANI): Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati on Monday expelled her nephew Akash Anand, saying that the response given by him after he was relieved of his duties was "selfish and arrogant".
"In the interest of the self-respect and self-esteem movement of the most revered Babasaheb Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar and following the tradition of discipline of the venerable Kanshiram, Akash Anand, like his father-in-law, is expelled from the party in the interest of the party and the movement," Mayawati posted on X.
Mayawati, former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, stated that the remarks made by Anand after his removal from the posts were "not a sign of political maturity". She accused him of being under the influence of his father-in-law, Ashok Siddharth.
"The lengthy response given by Akash is not a sign of remorse and political maturity but is mostly selfish and arrogant...under the influence of his father-in-law, which I have been advising people in the party to avoid," the BSP supremo added.
Mayawati said that it was expected of Akash Anand to accept the decision of his removal from key positions in the BSP "maturely".
"In the All-India meeting of BSP yesterday, Akash Anand was relieved from all responsibilities, including the post of National Coordinator, due to him being under the continued influence of his father-in-law Ashok Siddharth, who was also expelled from the party. For this, he should have repented and shown maturity," she added.
Anand was let go of his post as the National Coordinator of the BSP on Monday. The decision to relieve him of his duties came during the All-India meeting organised by the party.
A day after being removed from all key positions, Anand on Monday said that he remained undeterred, drawing strength from the Bahujan Movement's ideals. He added that this struggle is not a career but a fight for the self-respect and self-esteem of marginalized communities.
He said that he would continue to devote himself fully to the party and fight for society's rights as a true worker of the Bahujan movement. He also termed the decision as an emotional one and said the "test is difficult".
"The decision of respected sister Ms. Mayawati ji to relieve me from all the posts of the party is personally emotional for me, but at the same time, it is a big challenge now, the test is difficult, and the fight is long," he posted on X.

Anand further said, "Patience and determination are the true companions in such difficult times. As a true worker of the Bahujan Mission and Movement, I will continue to work with full devotion for the party and the mission and will fight for the rights of my society till my last breath".
"This is an idea, a movement, which cannot be suppressed. Lakhs of Akash Anands are always ready to keep this torch burning and sacrifice everything for it," he added.
Earlier, Mayawati, after removing Akash, appointed Anand Kumar and Ramji Gautam as the National Coordinators of the party while expelling Ashok Siddharth, who is also the father-in-law of Akash Anand, for "factionalism." (ANI)