Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati on Wednesday paid rich tributes to her mentor and party founder Kanshi Ram on his 13th death anniversary and pledged to fulfil the dreams of the late leader.

“Manyawar Kanshi Ram did not deter to take the BSP movement forward even after casteist and other blockade by the anti-backward forces,” she said while directing the party cadre to take on the challenge of the casteist forces.  

She also pledged to fulfil the dreams of Kanshi Ram and take forward his legacy of Dalit emancipation.

“We have to meet the challenges posed by casteist forces and deal with it with prudence,” Mayawati said.

In a Twitter message, she said Kanshi Ram, the founder of the minority community groups like BAMSEF, Dalit Shoshit Samaj Sangharsh Samiti (DS4) and BSP, will be paid tributes across the country, especially in Uttar Pradesh.

“His struggle was in favour of the neglected. Our (Dalit) vote and your rule will not work,” she said.

In another tweet, Mayawati said Kanshi Ram was dedicated to the cause of self-respect propounded by Dr BR Ambedkar.

“Kanshi Ramji was dedicated to the movement of self-respect and dignity propounded by Bhimrao Ambedkar and he knew that the casteist and narrow forces would continue to challenge the BSP movement by means of material, price, punishment, discrimination, which has to be met with prudence,” she said.

Mayawati said several programmes were being held across the country.

Programmes on a big scale were being held at Prerna Kendra at Raqabganj Road in New Delhi and at Kashi Ram Memorial in Lucknow.

The BSP supporters raised the slogans of ‘Vote hamara, raj tumhara nahi chalega.”

After the architect of Constitution, Dr BR Ambedkar, Kanshi Ram is said to be the biggest Dalit leader of the country, who died on October 9, 2006. He formed the BSP in 1984.