2019 on Mind, Congress Govt to Recommend Withdrawal of Bharat Bandh Cases After Mayawati's 'Warning'

Hours after Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati threatened to “reconsider” her outside support to the Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan governments if cases against “innocents” framed in Bharat Bandh were not withdrawn, the Kamal Nath government said it would recommend the same.

“If the newly-elected governments in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan do not act swiftly and withdraw the cases against the innocent persons framed in Bharat Bandh, the BSP may have to reconsider extending the outside support to the Congress governments," Mayawati had said in a hard-hitting press release.

Mayawati said the cases against the innocent people framed out of political and caste considerations in Uttar Pradesh and other BJP-ruled states including MP and Rajasthan, which were previously under the BJP. She added that now that MP and Rajasthan are ruled by the Congress, the new governments should immediately withdraw such cases, failing which her party would have to reconsider its decision of extending outside support

The Madhya Pradesh government is expected to send the cases to the law department, which will then forward them to courts. The courts will have the final authority to decide whether or not the cases should be withdrawn.

Political experts are of the opinion that Congress government decided to wield to the BSP chief’s pressure with an eye on the 2019 polls. Mayawati had earlier snubbed the Congress during the assembly elections in Chhattisgarh when she went ahead with Ajit Jogi’s party. There were also reports that the Samajwadi Party and the BSP had worked out a formula for an alliance in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, and the Congress would not be a party to this mahagathbandhan. In the wake of these developments, the Congress seems to be extending an olive branch towards Mayawati to ensure her cooperation in the upcoming elections.

The move, however, did not go down well with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which said it was “shameful” that such heinous cases were being withdrawn for purely political considerations.