http://www.the-hindu.com/stories/14072183.htm
By Our Staff Reporter
NEW DELHI, DEC. 6.

The Bahujan Samaj Party today vowed to continue with its agitation to oppose the review of the Constitution and said it would not rest till the whole review process was ``withdrawn'' by the BJP-led NDA Government.

Speaking at a largely attended public rally held behind the Red Fort here to show its strength against the review, senior BSP leaders also used the occasion to lambast the Jana Shakti leader and Union Communication Minister, Mr. Ram Vilas Paswan, for playing into the hands of the BJP to cut into BSP votes.

Addressing the party workers who had converged at the venue from various parts of the country, the BSP president, Mr. Kanshi Ram, said the ``review is an attempt by the BJP to thwart the basic fabric of the Constitution drafted by Dr. B. R. Ambedkar''.

Arguing that the Constitution was considered as a hurdle by the ``manuvadi parties'' for continuance in power, Mr. Ram said: ``These parties, led by the BJP, are now trying to change this to suit their selfish interests. We will not let this happen and continue to oppose this move tooth and nail''.

The BSP secretary, Ms. Mayawati, asserted there was nothing wrong with the Constitution. It had served the country well for the past 50 years. ``The fault lies with those parties which are or were in power and implemented it to suit their own petty ends,'' she added.

She said the Constitution provides opportunities to the people from the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Backward Classes to get political power. She alleged that the review of the Constitution was an attempt to keep them out of power. ``The BJP is against this Constitution. They do not want the Bahujan Samaj to get political power'. We will continue to oppose this until this process is withdrawn.''

She criticised Mr. Paswan for floating Jan Shakti. ``By doing so, he is being a party to the BJP's gameplan to attract SC, ST and Backward Class votes. But, as in the past, even this strategy of the BJP would not yield any result,'' Ms. Mayawati asserted.

``The BJP is propping up this habitual defector with an eye on the next years's Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh,'' she said. Later speaking to reporters, Ms Mayawati ruled out an alliance with any other party in the U.P. Assembly polls and said they would go alone.

Ms. Mayawati refuted that the rally was to counter Mr. Pawan's rally held in the Capital recently. ``This rally is was to oppose the review of the Constitution. This has nothing to do with Mr. Paswan's rally. Any how his party is not going to have any impact on our performance,'' she said.