Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati removed her nephew Akash Anand from the post of party's national coordinator on Tuesday "until he attains full maturity". The BSP supremo also dismissed Anand as her "political successor" after anointing him just five months ago. The move came after Anand and four others were booked last month for violation of the Model Code of Conduct for his speech where he launched a scathing attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party.
In his speech, which went viral on social media, Anand referred to the ruling BJP government as a "bulldozer government" accusing it of being a "government of traitors". He also equated the BJP government with the Taliban-led government of Afghanistan.
"This government is a bulldozer government and a government of traitors. The party that leaves its youth hungry and enslaves its elderly is a terrorist government. Taliban runs such a government in Afghanistan," the BSP leader had said.
Anand said he was firm on his statement and dismissed any chance of backtracking on it, adding "Bahujans have never bowed for their right because they have never been wrong in their struggle."
In a series of tweets on Tuesday night, Mayawati announced her sudden move saying: "BSP is also a movement for self-respect and self-esteem of Baba Saheb Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar and social change for which Shri Kanshi Ram ji and I have dedicated our entire lives and a new generation is also being prepared to give it momentum."
"Along with promoting other people in the party, I declared Akash Anand as the National Coordinator and my successor, but in the larger interest of the party and the movement, he is being removed from both these important responsibilities until he attains full maturity," she said in her post on X.