Why do we hate Mayawati?

This is actually a question that I heard on NDTV being asked Prannoy Roy and it had me really thinking.

The little research that I could do on her showed that Mayawati had one major corruption allegation against her in the Taj Corridor case and another even graver but inderect allegation of murder and extortion by BSP for what is called her 'birthday fund'. Does that make an object of such hate in an absolute sense? Yes, definitely yes. However, when we look around at our political class, she is not the only one who has such allegations against her, then why single her out for such vitriolic hate. We seem to forget Lalu Prasad Yadav's Fodder Scam and invite him to IIMA, we forget Narendra Modi's state sponsored communal violence because he is an able administrator. and even think of eulogizing Jyoti Basu whose only contribution to Bengal is considered to be a film fraterntity at Nandan and his son Chandan.

The real answer to that lies in exactly what Mayawati has managed to achieve. She has come from what is arguably the toughest background in India- Dalit woman and risen to become the Chief Minister of the largest state in India. If anything, that makes her the pin up girl of Indian politics far more than Priyanka Gandhi's pretty face.

She has upset all our long held beliefs of social laddering and what we consider to be the rightful place of certain kinds of people. She is definitely not the most honest leader alive (she paid over 26 crores in taxes and has an ongoing case on assets disproportionate to known sources of income) but this mindless almost personal hatred towards her doesn't speak too well about us either.

Think about it and our closely held prejudices.