Mayawati Quits Rajya Sabha After Being Disallowed To Speak On Dalit Issues 

New Delhi: Bahujan Samaj Party leader Mayawati on Tuesday quit the Rajya Sabha, hours after she threatened to resign after she was stopped from speaking for more than three minutes in the house on atrocities on Dalits.

"I have come to this House to be the voice of the Dalits and backwards — to raise their issues. But when I am not allowed to speak then why should I stay here," she asked while speaking to media persons after coming out of the House. "That's why I have decided to resign as a Rajya Sabha member today (Tuesday)," Mayawati said.

Earlier, Mayawati demanded a discussion on the atrocities on Dalits in the House. Deputy Chairman P.J. Kurien told her she had already made her demand for a full discussion and should let the House conduct its business. Launching a scathing attack against the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh and Modi-led central government, she said both remained "mute spectators" to the violence targeting Dalits in Saharanpur in May when their houses were torched and 15 Dalits injured.

She said BSP leaders were not even allowed to visit the affected families. As Kurien sought to stop Mayawati, she said: "If I am not allowed to talk, if I cannot represent the section of the society I belong to, if I am not allowed to put across my views on atrocities on Dalits, then there is no point in staying in the House. I will resign."

The former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister said she was following B.R. Ambedkar's example of having resigned as the Law Minister when he was not allowed to speak and table the Hindu Code Bill. Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mukthar Abbas Naqvi said Mayawati had insulted the chair by threatening to resign. "She must apologise." He said the government was prepared to raise all issues.

Opposition leader Ghulam Nabi Azad supported Mayawati and took objection to Naqvi's remarks. "When Mayawati tried to talk, she was told we have got the mandate. We did not know the BJP has got the mandate to massacre minorities and Dalits," an angry Azad said, amid interruptions by the treasury benches. — (IANS)