Mysuru: Accusing the Congress of fooling Dalits for decades, BJP National President Amit Shah has maintained that it was the Congress which prevented Dr. B.R. Ambedkar from entering the Parliament by defeating him.
Speaking at an interaction meet with Dalit leaders at Rajendra Kalamandira here yesterday, Shah asserted that the BJP always worked for the welfare of Dalits.
Referring to Union Minister Anant Kumar Hegde’s recent remark that there would be changes to the Constitution, Shah said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has himself clarified in Parliament that the Constitution of India was itself a great religion.
Alleging that the Congress Government at the Centre failed to confer ‘Bharat Ratna’ award on Dr. Ambedkar, Shah said that it was Narendra Modi’s Government which bestowed the nation’s highest civilian award on Dr. Ambedkar.
Listing out the NDA Government’s plans for the welfare of Dalits, Shah accused the Congress of unnecessarily raising the issue of Supreme Court’s ruling on SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
Pointing out that the Union Government will move the SC challenging the ruling, he said that the Union Government had made efforts for much larger outreach of Dr. Ambedkar’s thoughts.
Listing out the schemes, projects and initiatives taken by the Modi Government for the welfare of Dalits, Shah said that the NDA Government ‘s other ambitions initiatives such as Jan Dhan, MUDRA, Make In India etc., had benefited more than 10 crore people.
During the course of the interaction, one Dr. Balasubramaniam demanded more reservation for SC/STs in Government jobs and filling up vacant SC/ST and OBC backlog posts.
V.S. Subramanya wanted to know what the Centre had done for the welfare of Pourakarmikas and demanded statutory benefits for Pourakarmikas.
BJP leader and Advocate S. Arun Kumar compered the meet, while district BJP SC Morcha President Nagaraj Malladi welcomed the gathering.
State BJP Chief B.S. Yeddyurappa, MP Pratap Simha, former Minister S.A. Ramdas, V. Sreenivasa Prasad, Kote M. Shivanna and C.T. Ravi, Union Minister Ananth Kumar, former MP Kagalavadi Shivanna, SC Morcha President D.S. Veeraiah, leaders K. Shivaram, Bharathi Shankar, C.N. Ramu, Shahikala Nagaraj, S. Mahadevaiah and others were present during the event.
Dalit’s and all minorities are fooled by themselves.
Unemployment, Health, Hygiene, Education are issues which are to be addressed.