Former Uttar Pradesh chief-minister and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) president Mayawati has meted out a threat to the fledgling Congress Governments in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh by stating that her party would withdraw support to the Congress-led regimes in these States if the recent wrongly-framed cases against Dalits were not withdrawn forthwith.
 
Congress managed to upset the apple-cart of the ruling BJP in the States of Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan in the recently concluded Assembly polls but fell short by a thin margin in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh where the BSP stepped in to offer ‘outside support’ to the Congress Governments mainly to keep ‘common enemy’ BJP out of power in these States.
 
In Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, Congress fell short of the magic mark of simple majority by two and three seats respectively where the BSP with six and two seats (respectively) is propping up the Congress-led Governments.
 
In a statement issued yesterday, Mayawati said that the BSP won’t think twice in withdrawing support to the Congress regimes in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan if these Governments didn’t fulfill the pre-poll promises made to the people.  “Many false cases have been framed in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh against Vedanta Group and against people (Dalits) who fought against atrocities perpetrated against them.  Farmers who took part in the recent ‘Bharat Bandh’ were also not spared.
 
“These are uncalled for and fake cases framed purposely against them by the then BJP Governments in the two States.  The Congress, which rules in these States now, should withdraw all such cases with immediate effect as these cases are likely to affect these people very badly in eking out their livelihood.  If the cases are not withdrawn forthwith and within a reasonable period of time, the BSP might consider withdrawing its support to these regimes,” Mayawati’s statement said thus.