In the escalating war of words over posthumous honors, BSP’s Vishwanath Pal has exposed what he calls Congress’s double standards on Kanshiram Bharat Ratna demand. The fiery leader from Lucknow didn’t mince words: Rahul Gandhi’s party, which ruled for a full decade under PM Manmohan Singh, conveniently ignored the Bahujan pioneer despite relentless pleas from BSP.
‘Power in their hands, no Bharat Ratna. Now playing the victim out of power – pure drama,’ Pal told IANS. He painted a picture of Congress as perennial foes of Dalit empowerment, a stance diametrically opposed to Kanshiram’s vision that birthed BSP and propelled Mayawati to power.
With 2027 UP elections looming, Pal sees the SP-Congress push as a cynical ploy. ‘Today they’re his biggest fans, parading photos and slogans. But alive, they blocked him every way. Hypocrites!’ He invoked the historic Lucknow rally where Kanshiram anointed Mayawati as his ideological heir, entrusting her with Ambedkar’s legacy and the Bahujan movement.
Pal slammed instances of disrespect, like SP’s reluctance to retain the Kanshiram district name in Aligarh set up by Mayawati. ‘If they can’t honor his name, how will they follow his path? It’s all for seats.’ Turning to BJP in power since 2014, he demanded immediate action: ‘Award Bharat Ratna now – that’s real respect.’
This exchange underscores deepening alliances and rivalries in UP’s Dalit votebank politics, where invoking icons like Kanshiram becomes a high-stakes battleground.