launched by UP Congress to commemorate the 125th birth anniversary of Dr BR Ambedkar on August 20, 2015, the Bhim Jyoti Yatra concluded in lucknow on Sunday.
Aimed at weaning over the Dalits to the party fold and siathnce the community from the BSP ahead of the 2017 Assembly polls, the Yatra covered over 10,000 kms in 55 districts of UP.
leading th Yatra in lucknow on Sundya, Chairman of UP Congress SC / ST Cell, Bhagwati Prasad Choudhary said that the seven-month long campaign was successful in taking the party's positive message to the Dalit community that they were being taken for a ride by caste-based parties.
"Dalits are being exploited by a particular party in the name of Dr Ambedkar. The Constitution that Baba Sahab formulated was for all the people of the country irrespective of caste, creed and religion. The Bhim Jyoti Yatra was successful in conveying to the Dalit community that they were being exploited. Baba Sahib is not the icon of a caste or community, but he belongs to the whole of India,’’ stressed Choudhary.
Accusing BSP party chief Mayawati of misleading the community on the issue of reservation in promotion in government services, the Congress leader said, "It was the Congress which implemented reservation in promotion for the SC /STs for which the first amendment in the Constitution was made.’’
Chaudhary added, "Mayawati implemented reservation in promotion for her political ends which was quashed by High Court and later by the Supreme Court. She can not do anything to restore the policy as the Constitution has to be amended by both the Houses of Parliament and has to be ratified by at least eight state Assemblies.’’
"The rabidly casteist policies pursued by Mayawati in the last two decades has only isolated the community from the mainstream. It has inflicted a lasting damage to the interests of the Dalits. How can Dalits trust Mayawati, who ditched her mentor Kanshi Ram,’’ said former Mirzapur MlA, Bhagwati Prasad Chaudhary by way of questioning.
Before the 2012 Assembly polls, Congress had tried to woo Dalits in a similar fashion. Party vice-president Rahul Gandhi had started state-wide ‘Chetna Yatras’ from Ambedkar Nagar on Ambedkar Jayanti April 14, 2010. While those Yatras covered all Assembly segments, the Bheem Jyoti Yatra covered mainly Dalit-dominated areas.
Of the total 403 seats, there are 85 reserved seats in the UP Assembly and the ruling Samajwadi Party represents 58 of them.