LUCKNOW: Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday promised that all false cases against brahmans lodged under the SC/ST Act (Prevention of Atrocities Act) during the previous Mayawati rule will be withdrawn. He also assured that the state government will solve all the problems of Sanskrit teachers within a month.

Akhilesh was addressing the celebrations organised by the Samajwadi Party (SP) to mark Lord Parashuram Jayanti. Parashuram is a revered figure among brahmans in UP. The SP is eyeing brahman support for the next Lok Sabha elections.

brahmans play crucial role in 20, out of 80 lok sabha seats. However, SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav skipped the convention. It was under Mulayam rule in 2006 Parashuram Jayanti was declared a public holiday. But he did not get brahman votes in subsequent assembly election in 2007 which saw Mayawati coming to power with her dalit-brahman vote combination. However, disenchanted by Maya rule, a section of brahmans voted for the SP in 2012 assembly elections. The SP now wants to consolidate its position among brahmans further.

Akhilesh said that the brahmans have tried all parties but did not get due respect. He claimed that the maximum atrocities on brahmans took place under the previous Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) regime and promised to withdraw all false cases lodged under SC/ST Act. He said that brahmans preserved the Sanskrit language. The Sanskrit, he said, is not only a language but culture and tradition of India. He said that brahmans have also shown light to the society, fought for the poor and have educated mass. The community also contributed immensely in the freedom struggle. Akhilesh also pointed out that the SP opposed quota for SC/ST in promotions in government jobs in the parliament because it was threatening to break the society on caste lines.

"As soon as the Supreme Court order came, we scrapped the quota in promotions, which had divided our employees. Later, we opposed the constitutional amendment on the issue in the parliament and did not allow it to pass," he said.

The quota, he said had made junior employees senior and seniors became junior, which was also a grave injustice. The SP is targeting not only brahmans but also other upper castes and backward classes as well as Muslims by opposing quota in promotions. Akhilesh also hit out at the BSP for its campaign to woo brahmans.

"We all know brahmans were subjected to harassment and injustice in the BSP regime," he said. Taking a dig at BSP's strategy to give large number of tickets to brahman candidates for the Lok Sabha elections, Akhilesh said that some brahman leaders may have not got election tickets in SP but the party always gave due respect and honour to the brahmans.

The community value honour more than anything else, he added. Playing soft Hindutava, Akhilesh said that everybody used to say that the SP cannot win in Ayodhya, but we proved in the 2012 elections that we can do it, which shows that people trust our party and its policies. People trust us because we deliver what we promise, he added. After Ram temple movement in 1989, Ayodhya has been BJP's bastion. However, in last assembly elections, SP's Pawan Pandey had bagged Ayodhya seat. He has also been made minister by Akhilesh. Pandey was also the organiser of the Lord Parashuram Jayanti. The young leader is fast emerging as party's brahman face.