Mayawati equates Congress with BJP, says governments led by them are ‘examples of state terror’

Taking to the Twitter on Thursday, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati attacked the Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of leading governments which are examples of ‘state terror’.

Criticising the Kamal Nath-led Congress government in Madhya Pradesh which has invoked the National Security Act (NSA) against three Muslims for cow slaughter, and the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh led by Yogi Adityanath for imprisoning 14 students of Aligarh Muslim University on charges of sedition, the BSP chief called upon people to decide on the ‘difference’ between the two parties.

According to political pundits, in describing both governments as examples of ‘terror states’, Mayawati’s tweet “reaffirms” her intent of distancing herself and her party from both head of the Lok Sabha polls. This becomes especially critical at a time when pre-poll alliances are being forged by other opposition leaders like Mamata Banerjee, Rahul Gandhi and N Chandrababu Naidu who met last evening at Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Sharad Pawar’s house to discuss the prospects and agenda of a united opposition against the BJP.

Earlier today, Aam Admi Party (AAP) leader Arvind Kejriwal said that the Congress had “nearly” said “no” to an alliance with his party.

Regional leaders have expressed interest in fighting the BJP as a united opposition and forming alliances. But there are several loose ends that may need to be tied up before the Opposition leaders can take on the BJP as a united voice free from such jarring notes.