Lucknow: Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) president Mayawati on Friday reiterated that political power remains the “master key” to the empowerment of Dalits, Other Backward Classes (OBCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs), minorities, and other marginalised sections of society.
In a statement issued, the former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister paid tribute to Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, describing him as the messiah of millions of Dalits and deprived communities and the chief architect of the Indian Constitution. She said Dr. Ambedkar’s vision, intellect, and lifelong struggle secured vital constitutional and legal safeguards for communities that had long faced caste-based discrimination and social oppression.
Mayawati said that while constitutional rights are essential, Dr. Ambedkar believed their effective implementation is possible only when the deprived sections of society possess political power. According to her, merely granting rights does not ensure social justice unless those communities are adequately represented in positions of governance and decision-making.
The BSP chief said this philosophy later inspired party founder Kanshi Ram, who established the Bahujan Samaj Party with the objective of securing political representation and constitutional rights for Dalits, backward classes, tribal communities, and minorities. She noted that Kanshi Ram described political power as the “master key” to achieving the social, economic, and political empowerment of the Bahujan community.
Mayawati asserted that the BSP was founded to ensure dignity, equal opportunities, and constitutional rights for historically disadvantaged communities. She said the party continues to remain committed to its founding mission and ideology of social justice, equality, and inclusive political representation.
Her remarks come as political parties continue to sharpen their outreach to socially and economically disadvantaged communities ahead of upcoming electoral contests, with issues of representation, social justice, and constitutional rights expected to remain central themes in the political discourse.
