New Delhi, June 18: The younger sister of Bahujan Samaj Party founder Kanshi Ram accused Mayawati of "collaborating with Manuvadis" to defame the Bhim Army as she addressed a rally by the Dalit outfit here today.
Swaran Kaur, who has since Kanshi Ram's death in 2006 been accusing Mayawati of murdering him, runs the Kanshi Ram Charitable Foundation in Ropar, Punjab. She had a falling out with the Aam Aadmi Party last year.
"Our brothers and sisters want to fight for justice but the Manuvadis have collaborated with Mayawati to destroy this struggle," Kaur told the gathering of 2,500 youths, trade unionists and students from Ambedkarite and communist groups in Punjabi.
She had earlier told The Telegraph: "My brother spent his life building the movement that Mayawati benefited from. Now, when Dalits are being attacked and the youth have risen against injustice, she has turned against them."
Mayawati had last month alleged that the Bhim Army, which was leading the Dalit agitation against Thakur violence in Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh, was a BJP stooge aimed at dividing and discrediting the community through its violent acts.
The Bahujan Samaj Party leader had earlier angered Kaur by restricting public access to Kanshi Ram when he was in hospital just before his death.
Poet Rahul Nagpal had organised today's rally on behalf of the Bhim Army, whose founder Chandrashekhar Azad "Ravan" was arrested earlier this month on charges of assault and arson in Saharanpur. Chandrashekhar's mother Kamlesh Devi and brothers Bhagat Singh and Kamal Kishore were at the rally.
Kamlesh told the crowd: "My son is innocent and has gone to jail for you. He fought for you and it's your duty to ensure his freedom."
She told this newspaper: "Yogi (Adityanath, Uttar Pradesh chief minister) does not want us (Dalits) to survive. I shall go on a hunger strike if my son isn't set free."
Scuffles
The rally witnessed scuffles between Ambedkarite leaders on the dais. Nagpal had announced at the beginning: "Only those who contribute Rs 10,000 will be allowed to speak, for two minutes."
He had added: "This is a fight between Ambedkarites and the so-called Gandhians. We don't need political leaders. I warn them not to politicise this. If our social movement is strong, we will dictate politics."
Speakers from several Ambedkarite organisations came and dropped the currency notes into a transparent box in front of the stage.
One of the organisers said: "The funds collected previously for Saharanpur's Dalits were all siphoned off; so we are doing this and not allowing any leaders with dubious credentials to speak,"
Professional motivational speaker and counsellor Satpal Tanwar, one of the organisers of Chandrashekhar's 6,000-strong rally in Delhi last month, wrestled with Nagpal and his associates on the stage - apparently the fallout of a turf war. Police were called in to escort Tanwar and his family out.
Ummed Gautam, who heads a Samta Sainik Dal faction, too grappled with cop turned Bhim Army spokesman Kalyan Singh on the dais after initially being refused a chance to speak. He was eventually handed the mike.
Munshi Lal, a cloth seller from Bikaner who was at the rally, said: "It's sad that this kind of hooliganism is happening. But this is not uncommon."
Later, a group of youths from Saharanpur grabbed the mike and yelled at the organisers for denying the victims of caste violence - and even Kamlesh and Kaur - the chance to speak. Kamlesh and Kaur were then asked to address the crowd.
"Most of us have come spending our own money," said student Gurunam Singh from Punjab.
"We have people with us but we need a leader. As long as Ravan remains in jail, we don't have a leader."
