Continuing political attack on the Centre for its handling affairs related to suicide of Hyderabad University student Rohith Vemula, the Congress has termed the BJP and Sangh Parivar anti-Dalit to the core. The party tried to score points while stressing on the dubious role played reportedly by two Union Ministers into the case.
Addressing a Press conference on Wednesday, party national Spokesperson Ajay Kumar equated the attitude with those shown previously by the leaders of the saffron outfits.
“The Hyderabad incident clearly shows anti-Dalit mindset of the BJP, RSS, ABVP and other factions of the Sangh Parivar. It is first time in the history of the country that Union Ministers are interfering with the affairs of student politics. It has been a regulation exercise for the BJP. We have seen MoS VK Singh’s comment on the death of Dalit children in Haryana and decision of Haryana and Rajasthan Governments depriving 65 per cent dalits from contesting panchayat election through an order,” said the former MP.
He charged Union Human Resource Development Minister Smriti Irani and her colleague in labour Ministry and MP from Secunderabad lok Sabha Bandaru Dattatreya for their active roles in the suicide of the student that has created ripples into the political and educational circles of the country. Where the party national vice-president Rahul Gandhi visited the University, Congress is organising series of Press conferences to scale up the issue.
“We have seen RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat advocating to end reservation for dalits. In this case as well, it was Smriti Irani who wrote four letters to the University administration to take actions against Rohith Vemula and his friends. This shows their thoughts against the deprived community,” added Ajay Kumar.
Going even further, he claimed that State Government in Maharashtra is in the process of diluting the Forest Rights Act passed by previous UPA Government which would hit dalits and tribal the most.
“The Government there on the behest of Surface Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari is going to restore rights on minor forest produces with Forest Department which was given by us to tribal and forest dwellers. The Center has also lifted ban on imports of khesari dal that is considered hazardous for children. It is the dalit and children of weaker sections who are going to be affected the most due to the cheaper legume,” said Ajay Kumar. He also termed the Government’s policy towards Pakistan a complete flip-flop and alleged it for compromising with national security.
Coming on Jharkhand the national spokesperson rapped the State Government for doing nothing to assist farmers and poor affected severely by drought. “The Raghubar Das Government is just making announcements. It is bizarre that number of ration card holders is declining under FSA. They should release socio-economic-caste census data to get true picture about poverty,” he said. PCC president Sukhdeo Bhagat pulled up the Government for its failure in releasing Indira Awas and old-age pension.