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by IANS |
Lucknow, Feb 1 (IANS) Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) President Mayawati on Sunday launched an attack on the governments and various political parties, accusing them of distorting the humanist messages of saints and great personalities for political and electoral gains.
On the occasion of Sant Guru Shri Ravidas Jayanti, Mayawati said that the misuse of saints' teachings for vote-bank politics has weakened peace, brotherhood, and social harmony.
Paying tribute to Sant Ravidas, she extended greetings to his followers across the country and abroad.
She said Sant Ravidas’ message – 'Man changa to kathauti me Ganga (If the soul is pure, the Ganges is in the vessel)' -- is not merely spiritual but forms the foundation of social transformation.
However, those in power, she said, have reduced it to superficial devotion instead of imbibing its essence in governance and public life.
The BSP chief noted that Sant Ravidas devoted his life to fighting caste discrimination, hatred, and social evils, giving humanity a message of equality and justice. The growing gap between words and actions, she said, has created unrest, dissatisfaction, and distrust in society.
Mayawati alleged that political parties invoke Sant Ravidas’ teachings only during elections, while his millions of followers continue to face neglect.
"His message links religion with social service and public awareness, not with power-driven and self-serving politics," she said.
Raising the issue of Bhadohi district, Mayawati said the BSP government had renamed it Sant Ravidas Nagar to honour the saint. Still, the Samajwadi Party government later reversed the decision out of caste bias and political vendetta.
She alleged that the current BJP government has also failed to restore the name, reflecting a similar mindset.
Mayawati said several projects were launched to honour Sant Ravidas, including the Sant Ravidas Park and Ghat in Varanasi, the Sant Ravidas Government College in Faizabad, the Sant Ravidas Samman Award, the Sant Ravidas Polytechnic in Chandauli, an SC-ST training institute in Varanasi, and naming a bridge over the Ganga after the saint.
She further claimed that before the rise of the BSP, the Congress, BJP, and other parties had consistently ignored saints and great personalities from Dalit, tribal, and backward communities.
"Now that these communities have become politically conscious, these parties remember such icons only for votes," she alleged.
Mayawati appealed to people to remain cautious of parties that politicise the names of saints without making sincere efforts for social justice and upliftment.
She asserted that only by honestly following the ideals of Sant Ravidas and Babasaheb Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar can the country move towards true justice, equality, and prosperity.
--IANS
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