Congress counters BJP allegation of ignoring Dalits in poll-bound Karnataka

New Delhi, 07 May 2018 [Fik/News Sources]: Countering BJP’s allegations of “ignoring” Dalits during the electioneering to the Karnataka assembly, Congress Thursday alleged that the Prime Minister, chants Dr. Ambedkar’s name and his party BJP “hell bent upon to make Dalits and Adivasis second-class citizens of India. The party also alleged that the Government of India made a massive cut in spending for funds for SCs and STs and a massive reduction of 91 percent in Government jobs.

At the party briefing here, Congress fielded a Dalit leader PL Punia to counter the BJP allegations who is also a former chairman of SCs and STs Commission. Punia said the PM, the BJP, and BJP Chief Ministers seem to be “hell-bent on proving that Dalits and Adivasis second-class citizens of India”.

“BJP’s ‘anti-Dalit’ and ‘anti-Aadivasi’ mindset now branding them Second Class Citizen as the Union Government looks helpless- Dalits are being beaten, made to drink urine, being asked to give notice of Baraat- in Modi’s New India.”

“In its latest attack on the constitutional rights, the BJP Government in Madhya Pradesh has mandated that a minimum 3-day notice be given and the police be informed of any wedding in a dalit family while Police will remain present to supervise Dalit marriage processions’, he added.

The Dalit leader also alleged that despite “the PM’s Ambedkar Jaap violence and discrimination against the SCs and STs not only continue unabated but have reached ridiculous heights reminiscent of the horrid practice of untouchability and ghettoization.”

Defending Congress government in Karnataka, he said it has persistently moved ahead with its affirmative actions to empower Dalits.

Karnataka BJP CM candidate, BS Yeddyurappa finds it below his dignity to eat food in a Dalit house and orders hotel food and Karnataka BJP campaigner and Union minister Anant Kumar Hegde recently called Dalits as “barking dogs”, he said.

He also presented data of BJP-ruled states saying “under BJP’s watch, a Dalit suffers an atrocity every 12 Minutes and every day, 6 Dalit women are raped”.

He also alleged that the Union Budget in 2018-19 has allocated only 5.5% for SC’s which form 16.6% of India’s population and SC welfare schemes have been reduced from 294 to just 256.

He also said the government has done a massive reduction of 91% in jobs for SC’s.

“In 2013 (Congress) there were 92,928 jobs for Dalits in Central Govt, in 2015 it is reduced to just 8436. 31% ‘Backlog’ vacancies of SCs i.e. 28,713 posts on 31.12.2016. Data for 2016 and 2017 has not been revealed by Modi Govt.”

BJP ruled Madhya Pradesh (43.4), Rajasthan (42), Goa (36.7) & Gujarat (32.5) account for the majority of Crime Rate against Dalits (NCRB) while Congress-ruled Karnataka record significantly lesser crimes, he said and added that Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh record the highest crimes against Adivasis.

Congress leader underlined that even five BJP’s Dalit MPs had publically expressed their unhappiness and have openly voiced their dissent to PM Modi.

He said the government still did not bring an ordinance to set aside the Supreme Court ruling as it doesn’t agree to review its judgment on SC/ST Act.

“Political apathy, social oppression, economic negligence, violating rights of weaker sections, injustice, dividing society, creating social discord and hampering peace and harmony have become the trademark of Modi Government’s policies in the past 4 years, Punia said.