Mayawati Accuses Congress of Delaying Noida Airport Project
In Lucknow, a day following the inauguration of the Noida International Airport at Jewar by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) national president Mayawati made significant remarks on Sunday. She contended that the airport would have been completed much earlier, specifically during her administration, had the then Congress government at the Centre not erected "obstacles."
Historical Context of BSP's Role
Mayawati elaborated that not only was the blueprint for the airport prepared under her government, but essential foundational work had also commenced. This period coincided with the BSP forming the government in Uttar Pradesh for the fourth time in 2007, marking its first majority administration that successfully completed a full five-year term.
"This development work, similar to projects like the Yamuna Expressway, would have been finalized much earlier during my own government if the Congress government at the Centre had refrained from creating impediments," stated Mayawati.
Criticism of Successor Governments
The BSP was succeeded by the Samajwadi Party (SP) government in 2012, when Akhilesh Yadav assumed the role of chief minister for the first time. On Sunday, Mayawati also directed criticism towards the SP administration for failing to bring the development initiatives she initiated to fruition.
She asserted, "Regarding the SP government, instead of dedicating most of their time to concrete development efforts aimed at eradicating poverty and backwardness in Uttar Pradesh, they predominantly focused on negative, casteist, and politically motivated hatred. This was specifically intended to nullify the historic decisions and important works undertaken by the BSP government for the welfare, well-being, and upliftment of society's weaker sections."
Mayawati further accused the SP of altering the names of educational and medical institutions, districts, and other projects that were established in honor of great saints, gurus, and luminaries born in the ‘Bahujan Samaj.’
Appeal to Voters and Regional Demands
In her address, Mayawati once again appealed to the people of Uttar Pradesh to "not fall for the deceptive politics and enticements of opposition parties but place your faith in BSP's policies and principles of ‘Sarvajan Hitay and Sarvajan Sukhay.’" She urged reliance solely on BSP's iron leadership for both personal and state development.
Reaching out to constituents in western Uttar Pradesh, she also questioned the prolonged delay in fulfilling two long-pending demands: the establishment of a separate high court bench and the creation of a separate state for the region.
