Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati on Saturday urged the central and state governments to cut down their "royal" expenses and instead waive the school fees of government school children in the larger public interest.
In a Hindi tweet, she said, "Following the coronavirus-induced lockdown, crores of people, who are already facing unemployment and an unprecedented crisis, are now facing the challenge of depositing the school fees of their children. They have resorted to protests and have had to face the police cane, which is very sad."
Taking a dig at fInance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Mayawati said, "At the time of an “Act of God,” the government's role according to the Constitution should be that of a welfare state. The central and state governments should cut down their royal expenses, reimburse the fees of government and private schools, in the larger public interest.”
