Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leader Akash Anand on Thursday broke silence, days after he was removed as the party’s national coordinator. The 28-year-old Mr. Anand vowed to continue fighting for the Bhim Mission till his “last breath” and said he accepts the BSP chief’s Mayawati’s commands, whom he described as a “universal” leader. Despite his remotion as Ms. Mayawati’s political successor, Mr. Anand called her a role model for the entire Bahujan community.
“Respected Mayawatiji, you are an ideal for the entire Bahujan Samaj, crores of countrymen worship you. It is because of your struggles that today our society has got such a political power due to which the Bahujan Samaj has been able to live with respect and dignity. You are our universally accepted leader. Your orders are our obedience. I will continue to fight for Bhim Mission and my society till my last breath,” Mr. Anand wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
The rationale for Mr. Anand’s removal by Mayawati on May 7 was that he needed to reach a measure of “maturity” before assuming important roles.
The removal had led to a declaration by Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav that the BSP is not winning a single seat in the 2024 Lok Sabha election.
Mr. Yadav appealed to traditional supporters of the BSP to vote for the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance bloc candidates in a bid to save democracy and the Constitution. The comment led to a harsh response from the BSP chief who cautioned Mr. Yadav to not comment on the internal matters of the Dalit centric party adding it would be better for the “anti Dalit” SP and its chief to focus on his own family members fielded in the ongoing Parliamentary election.
