Mayawati blames BJP, RSS for Maharashtra violence

Lucknow: Coming down heavily on Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati on Wednesday accused them of engineering the caste violence in Pune and other parts of Maharashtra.

"These incidents could have been prevented but the state government did not make adequate arrangements there as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government was involved in the caste conflicts," she said in a statement.

She alleged that the BJP and other like-minded forces were out to destroy the rich history of Dalits as they did not want them to have a legacy or a life of honour.

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The four-time Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister expressed sympathy for the family of a youth who was killed in the violence.

Seeking immediate help and medical aid to the injured, the BSP chief called for the immediate arrest of the people behind the violence.

"The perpetrators of the violence should be given exemplary punishment, but the track record of the BJP does not give much hope," she added.