Mayawati Slams Caste-Driven Political Rhetoric, Urges Focus on Poverty, Unemployment

BSP president Mayawati on Tuesday expressed concern over the deteriorating quality of political discourse in the country, urging leaders across party lines to avoid personal attacks and focus on pressing public issues such as poverty, unemployment and inflation.

In a post in Hindi on X, the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister said political exchanges had increasingly become personal, caste-driven and abusive, with some remarks even veering towards violent rhetoric. She described the trend as a matter of concern for the country's dignity and reputation.

Mayawati said those holding high public offices should not encourage objectionable political statements, even when mutual respect among leaders was lacking. Such conduct, she warned, could weaken public confidence in the political system, particularly amid what she described as narrow-minded and self-serving politics hostile to the poor.

The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief also referred to public concerns over alleged widespread corruption at the government level and questions being raised about the electoral process. She said the rivalry and ego battles among political leaders were aggravating the situation instead of addressing people's concerns.

Mayawati urged political parties to concentrate on finding solutions to the country's pressing challenges, including rising poverty, unemployment and inflation. She cautioned that the growing competition among leaders to make objectionable remarks against one another would further poison the political atmosphere.

Her remarks came two days after Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge made a controversial comment about Prime Minister Narendra Modi's late father at an event in Patna on Sunday. The statement drew sharp criticism from the BJP and its allies, who demanded an apology.

Mayawati, however, did not name any political leader or directly refer to the controversy in her post.

Her comments also come amid exchanges between the BJP and the Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections, with political rhetoric intensifying in the state.