Mayawati: BJP accused me of wasting money on statues, now it must apologise

Hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled a 182-metre high statue of Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel, BSP chief Mayawati sought an apology from the BJP for its comments in the past against installation of statues of Dalit icons.

In a statement, the former Chief Minister said it was unfortunate that when she got parks, monuments and idols installed of BR Ambedkar and other Dalit icons, she was badgered by the RSS and BJP for splurging public money.

But now the BJP and RSS were gloating over a Rs 2,000-plus crore statue of Patel in Gujarat.

She said the Bharatiya Janata Party should not only apologise for defaming her but also tell people why it chose an English name, "Statue of Unity", for Patel, who was every bit an Indian. The English name made it clear how much of this event was devotion to Patel and how much was it a political game plan, she said.