Union minister of state for Social Justice, Ramdas Athawale described the controversy over Pakistan founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s portrait being hung in Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) campus as unnecessary and suggested that it could be removed keeping in mind ‘public sentiments’.
“Jinnah’s portrait was installed before independence on the AMU students union office and so there is nothing wrong in it. But it can be removed if public sentiments were against it,” said the Union minister in a press conference in lucknow on Saturday.
Violence eriupted in the AMU campus, after varsity students objected to the protests by right-wing Hindu Yuva Vahini on the campus, who demanded the removal of Jinnah’s portrait from the campus.
On the BJP leaders visiting Dalit houses and dining with them, Athawale said, “Although having dinner will not benefit Dalits, but this is a good initiative for eroding caste-based divisions in the society and strengthening relations between Dalits and upper castes.”
Asked about the Supreme Court’s recent ruling that allegedly diluted Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, the minister said that he would request Prime Minister Narendra Modi to bring an ordinance on this issue.
“The law (SC/ST Act) was enacted by the Parliament. The government has filed a review petition and, if the need arises, I will request the Prime Minister to bring an ordinance for the purpose,” he said, adding that 90 per cent cases of atrocities against Dalits were true.
The Republican Party of India (A) chief said that his party wanted to contest 30 seats in Karnataka Assembly polls and support the BJP on the remaining. He said his party would back the BJP candidates in UP in 2019 lok Sabha elections and try to bring Dalit votes under NDA kitty. “The SP-BSP alliance will have no impact in the elections,” Athawale said.
Condemning the recent incidents of desecration of Dr Ambedkar’s statues in the state, Athawale said that the state government needs to take strict action. “It is an effort to defame the Yogi government,” he added.