A leader of Mayawati's party said he will reward anyone 50 lakh in return for Dayashankar Singh's tongue.
Highlights
- BJP expels Dayashankar Singh who abused Mayawati
- Police hunting for Singh to arrest him
- Mayawati's party retaliates with smear campaign, protests
There was an opposite and equally impolitic reaction from Mayawati's party to Dayashankar Singh's malevolent remark against her. In Chandigarh, a leader from Mayawati's party offered 50 lakhs "in return for Mr Singh's tongue"; hours later, Mr Singh's misogyny was attributed to "faulty DNA as an illegitimate child" by Usha Chaudhary, a lawmaker in Uttar Pradesh from Mayawati's party, according to news agency ANI.
Mr Singh,the Vice President of the BJP in Uttar Pradesh, was expelled for six years by the BJP last night for his abuse of Mayawati. In parliament yesterday, Mayawati warned that if he were not penalized, she "would not be responsible for the protests that will take place everywhere."
Uttar Pradesh is readying for elections, and Mayawati, whose support comes largely from the Dalits, is hoping to return as head of the state after she lost the last election to Akhilesh Yadav of the Samajwadi Party.
Today, she dismissed Mr Singh's ban by the BJP as inadequate penalty, and said she had been assured of his arrest within 36 hours, which is why her Bahujan Samaj Party or BSP agreed to call off a huge protest this morning in Lucknow.
Usha Chaudhary (right), a lawmaker in UP from Mayawati's party, said Dayashankar Singh may have faulty DNA.
"I am not just treated as
behen-ji (sister), she said, "they respect me like a
Devi (Goddess)," the politician said.
The smutty remark of Mr Singh provoked outrage in parliament yesterday; her own speech, measured but articulate, outshone the others. "I have served four times as Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh," she said, establishing her seniority and experience as a politician and member of parliament." I have differed with people on ideology, but I have never used this sort of filthy language," she said.
Mr Singh remains untraced after a police case was filed against him.
Today, BJP leaders said that while they resolutely condemn his slur, the controversy should not be leveraged for political gain. "What he said was atrocious, we do not agree with it, but this should not be used as an election issue," said union minister Uma Bharti.