LUCKNOW, Jan. 29 -- Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) president Mayawati on Wednesday backed the University Grants Commission's (UGC) new regulations mandating equity committees in higher educational institutions to address caste-based discrimination. In a series of posts on social media platform X, Mayawati said the UGC's Promotion of Equity in Higher Education Institutions Regulations, 2026, aimed at addressing caste-based discrimination in colleges and universities, were wrongly projected as discriminatory by people having a "casteist mindset". She, however, demanded inclusive consultations on new rules to avoid social tension. The BSP chief condemned opposition to the move, cautioning Dalits and OBCs to remain vigilant against "divisive rhetoric". She said provisions of the regulations requiring the establishment of equity committees in government colleges and private universities were being opposed by sections portraying them as conspiratorial, which she described as completely unjustified. "The BSP also believes that if all stakeholders had been taken into confidence before implementing such rules, it would have been much better and would not have caused social tension in the country. Governments and all institutions must pay attention to the issue," she said. She said Dalits and OBCs should not be misled by the inflammatory statements of "selfish" and "saleable" leaders from their own communities, under whose cover divisive politics was being pursued....