Constant threat of communal riots if Modi becomes PM: Mayawati

Raking up the 2002 Gujarat riots issue, BSP supremo Mayawati on Monday claimed the country would be under a constant threat of communal violence if Narendra Modi became the PM and spoke of forming her party government at the Centre.

Addressing a meet of West Bengal party workers, the former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister also criticised the Mamata Banerjee government, saying it had failed to live up to people's expectations in the state.

"The BJP has annointed Narendra Modi as their prime ministerial candidate. Who is Narendra Modi? Modi is the same man against whom there are allegations of staying mum during Godhra riots in 2002. The country will always remain under the threat of communal riots if he becomes PM," Mayawati said.

Hinting at her prime ministerial ambition, she said that a BSP government at the Centre would remove corruption and bring the country back to the growth path.

Without taking any name, the BSP chief also took a potshot at the Trinamool Congress regime in West Bengal for not doing much for the development of the state.

"There was communist rule in the state for a long time and it failed to remove corruption and unemployment. But the new regime too has failed to live up to the people's expectation of removal of poverty and ushering in of development for the state," she said.

She said that Modi in his various speeches had made false promises that he would bring the country to the growth path again. "My question is what were they doing during the NDA tenure from 1998-2004?"

Mayawati also took a swipe at the UPA regime for "pro-captalist" economic policies and rampant corruption.

"The country is reeling under crises because of the policies of the Congress, which have helped a handful of rich people and incresed corruption. The Congress is trying to project their 'prince' as their PM candidate, but this will not help," she said, in an apparent reference to Rahul Gandhi.

She pointed out that the Congress can't run away from the responsiblity as it has been ruling the nation for the most part after Independence and promised to take up policies which would ensure economic growth and increase employment.