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Sharpening her attack on Narendra Modi, Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati in Sunday dubbed him as a "divisive leader" and warned that communal riots may erupt in the country if he came to power.
"Modi is an all out divisive leader who presided over riots in Gujarat in 2002...the country will be gripped by riots and communal frenzy if he wrests power at the Centre. The onus is on the people of the country to stop him from capturing power," she said at an election rally in Chandigarh.
Rubbishing promises made by Modi of good governance, Mayawati said he was only trying to create an illusion that if BJP came to power "everything will be set right" in the country.
"During his public meetings, Narendra Modi often boasts that if BJP comes to power, everything plaguing this country will be set right and the country will be put on the track of development. He is only trying to create this illusion," she said.
Mayawati, who made a strong pitch to the voters to support her party candidates from Chandigarh and neighbouring Himachal Pradesh, also questioned Modi as to why his party-led government failed to set things right when NDA ruled the country for six years.
"Why did they not do it then? When we ask their leaders, they do not have an answer," Mayawati said.
The BSP supremo, who lent outside support to UPA-II for five years, also questioned the commitment of both Congress and BJP to bring back black money from foreign shores and said if it was brought back, it could help tackle the problem of poverty and unemployment to some extent.
Targeting Congress, she said, "You are aware that without declaring Yuvraj's (Rahul Gandhi) name as PM candidate, Congress is fighting the upcoming polls under him."
"You also have to stop Congress from coming to power as it has failed on all fronts and has done nothing for the masses during over 50 years of its rule," she said in her 35-minute speech.
Mayawati said, "Ever since the country gained Independence, Congress and BJP have ruled most of the time at the Centre and in the states. But even after over 65 years of country getting freedom, it is sad that social and economic situation of the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, minorities including Muslims is not very good."
She said there were many states which were still affected by poverty and faced unemployment.