WITH AN eye on the Dalit vote-base, especially in Uttar Pradesh, the BJP on Wednesday joined leaders of the Akhil Bharatiya Bhikkhu Mahasangh in paying tributes to Dhamma Viriyo, its outgoing chief, and welcoming Bhadant Karunanand Mahathero, the new leader of the Buddhist organisation.
BJP leaders also acknowledged the Bhikkhu Mahasangh’s role in garnering Dalit votes to help pave way for the party’s stunning victory in the UP elections earlier this year.
Among senior BJP leaders present at Wednesday’s programme was party’s organisation general secretary Shiv Prakash. RSS joint secretary Krishna Gopal was also expected to attend the conference, convened by BJP MP Udit Raj and held at the Constitution Club in the national capital.
The public acknowledgment and the appreciation expressed by the leaders for the six-month-long Dhamma Chetna Yatra ahead of the elections come at a time when the BJP is reinforcing its bids to consolidate its Dalit support base across the country, especially in UP, where the BSP is losing the grip on the community that has been its committed vote base.
“Dhamma Viriyo (former head of the organisation) had been a great strength to the phenomenon of change,” BJP general secretary Bhupender Yadav said at the event. Yadav and Shiv Prakash acknowledged the monk’s role in the campaign for BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
During the Dhamma Chetna Yatra, organised with the help of BJP and addressed, among others, by party chief Amit Shah and Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Viriyo had addressed over 4 million people — mostly Dalits and OBCs, the BJP leaders said. Most of these meetings, they emphasised, were held in areas considered the BSP’s strongholds.
Union Minister of State for Social Justice Ramdas Athawale, who spoke at length about Modi’s respect for Buddhism, said, “Dhamma Viriyo had a significant role in bringing the BJP to power in UP.” Stressing that the BJP is keen to uplift Dalit communities, Athawale asserted that there will not be any move by the government to take away reservation for Dalits.
Athawale also claimed that the BJP’s moves to “honour Ambedkar” has led to an increasing awareness among Dalits about his ideology and personality.
Athawale announced that Ram Nath Kovind, India’s second Dalit President, whose election is also seen as a significant development in the ruling party’s attempts to reach out to Dalits, could attend a programme in Bodh Gaya on November 3 to pay tribute to Dhamma Viriyo.
At Wednesday’s event, speaker after speaker from the Buddhist organisation praised Modi, his commitment to work for Dalits, and his regard for Ambedkar.
