SP and BJP are two faces of the same coin, says BSP

“Samajwadi Party and Bharatiya Janata Party are two faces of the same coin,” Bahujan Samaj Party general secretary Satish Chandra Mishra said at meetings of Brahmins and Dalits in Ghaziabad and Meerut on Tuesday.

Mr. Mishra is described as the master of social engineering who brought the BSP to power in Uttar Pradesh in 2007.

“Both Brahmins and Dalits are being targeted during the BJP rule,” he said, citing numerous examples, particularly that of Khushi Dubey, minor wife of the nephew of gangster Vikas Dubey, who was shot dead in a police encounter like his uncle. The SP rule was no different, as Brahmin leaders were humiliated during Mulayam Singh Yadav’s regime.

Highlighting the political importance of brotherhood between Brahmins and Dalits, Mr. Mishra said BSP could easily return to power if the two could combine. “Brahmins constitute 16% of the population of U.P. while the Dalits are around 23%. If they could come together, BSP could easily cross the 30% mark, with a little help from OBCs and minorities.”

Mr. Mishra has been addressing such meetings of “enlightened thought” across the State and has already covered 22 districts.

Mr. Mishra, who started the campaign from Ayodhya, said he was shocked to see that the work for the construction of Ram Temple was yet to start. “They have been collecting notes and votes in the name of the Ram temple since 1993. What was the need to collect money from the public for the construction of temple after the SC judgment? Is the money being diverted to the party and its allied organisations?” he wondered.

He said the name of Sita was deliberately dropped from the Jai Shri Ram chant because they wanted to use it as a war cry. “For centuries, it is Jai Siya Ram and is said with humility,” said Mr Mishra.

Mr. Mishra also raised the issue of contentious farm laws and described them as instruments that would sound the death knell for the farmers.