Hathras tragedy: Mayawati stands out in attacking ‘Bhole Baba’, a Dalit

LUCKNOW: Amid volleyes of allegations and counter-allegations after the Hathras tragedy in which 121 persons were killed in a stampede at the satsang addressed by Suraj Pal Singh Jatav aka Narayan Sakar Hari ‘Bhole Baba’, the stand of BSP chief Mayawati is totally different from all other political leaders.

While SP, Cong and BJP have avoided making any direct attack against Bhole Baba, a Dalit, the BSP chief has started a frontal attack, seeking stern action against him. She has also accused the state govt of going slow against him.

Opposition party leaders have been thronging Hathras and meeting the victims after the JUly 2 tragedy. First to visit the place after the incident was leader of opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi. Rahul was followed by Azad Samaj Party chief and Nagina MP Chandrashekhar Azad.

Even the FIR lodged in this connection has not mentioned the name of Bhole Baba, who is believed to have a large following among Dalits in the region.

Political pundits believe Dalit followers are one main reason why Opposition parties are desisting from taking the name of the Bhole Baba in the incident. “Any word against the baba might annoy Dalits, who seemingly have firm faith in Baba,” an observer said.

Both the Congress and the SP have more reasons not to annoy Dalits at this juncture when a large section of the community shifted their loyalty from BSP to INDIA in the recently held Lok Sabha polls, he added.

The Congress and the SP have come to understand that keeping the Dalits in good humour should be their top priority as they would end up becoming a major factor in not only the coming bypolls but also in assembly polls 2027, observers believed.

Annoying Baba would directly mean annoying the community and the Baba followers, they said and added that his clout could be understood by the fact that despite loss of so many lives, none from even the deceased family until now have come out in open to blame Bhole Baba directly for the tragedy.

Even the special investigation team (SIT) set up by the state govt to probe the tragedy has almost given a clean chit to Bhole Baba. “Since there is no FIR against Baba, the BJP also is not able to take the risk of slamming him in any way as the same would be seen as difference of opinion between the BJP’s organisation and the government and secondly the party could also end up risking annoying Dalits which already have not been friendly towards the party in the recently concluded elections as the community began believing the narrative that the BJP might change the constitution and remove reservation if it is able to get 400 seats,” an observer says.

BSP chief Mayawati however, has taken a contrasting stand. Political analysts believe that by doing so, she wants to project herself and the BSP as the only genuine well-wishers of Dalits and not any ‘phony baba’.

Even after drifting from the BSP in the Lok Sabha polls, Dalits continue to have more faith in the BSP and Mayawati than anyone else and she has this faith they would not get annoyed with the party even if they are not convinced by Mayawati’s attack on Baba, they add.

No other leader can have this ‘confidence’, not even the new caste icon, Chandrashekhar Azad. During his visit to Hathras recently he remained guarded while making statements and only said anyone who is guilty should be punished when asked about his opinion on Bhole Baba.

Courtesy : TOI

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