Bahujan Samaj Party supremo and former chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, Mayawati, alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its allies were distracting people by targeting religious places to divert attention from key issues like inflation, poverty and unemployment.

The BSP chief also warned that such an attempt could worsen the situation anytime.

The BSP chief, in her statement issued on Wednesday, said, "In order to divide the attention of the people suffering from the ever-increasing poverty, unemployment and skyrocketing inflation in the country, the BJP and its allied organisations are selectively targeting religious issues. It is not hidden and it can worsen the situation at any time.”

The BSP chief said that there was a conspiracy to provoke people on religious grounds and added, "Years after independence, the manner in which religious sentiments of people are being instigated as part of a conspiracy, under the pretext of Gyanvapi, Mathura, Taj Mahal and other places, will not strengthen the country. The BJP needs to take note of it."

Addressing a press conference in Lucknow, Mayawati said, "The way they (BJP) are changing the names of places belonging to a particular community, it will make a dent to the spirit of brotherhood and affect communal harmony in the country. It will increase hatred. This is alarming. People belonging to all communities must be on alert. This will neither do good to India nor to the common people of the country."

On Tuesday, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav had slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Centre, saying that Gyanvapi-like incidents were a part of the party`s "hate calendar", and were a deliberate attempt to avoid addressing issues of inflation and unemployment.