Politicians rushing to Dalit households to break bread with them but ordering food, utensils and even waiters from outside is an "insult" to the people belonging to the weaker sections, BJP MP Sadhvi Savitri Bai Phoole said today.
She said statues of B R Ambedkar were vandalised but the culprits not put behind bars and added that mere propaganda will not serve any political purpose.
The sharp comments from the Bahraich MP come in the backdrop of a controversy over the recent visit to a Dalit home by a UP government minister belonging to her own party. Other saffron party leaders too have also visited Dalit households in recent past.
"I disagree with the trend of politicians going to Dalits' homes. The father of our Constitution Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar was against caste system so those who follow him should not use caste for political purposes. Why only Dalit bhojs (meals) are hyped in the media and not similar events at places belonging to any other caste?" an angry Phoole asked while speaking to PTI.
"The way media reports are showing that food, utensils and waiters are outsourced...It is an insult to Dalits. It is a mockery of Dalits," she said.
Raising more questions, the saffron-robed parliamentarian asked why even after decades of independence she was referred to as a 'Dalit MP'.
"The President is termed as Dalit President. Had Dr Ambedkar's Constitution been followed in letter and spirit, the situation would have been different," she asserted.
She said if anyone wanted to enhance the honour of Dalits, they should have meals cooked by them and in their utensils.
"Statues of Dr Ambedkar are damaged but arrests are not made. Dalits are murdered. Instead of ensuring justice to them, this propaganda will not help anyone", Phoole said.
Phoole said more vacancies for SC community should be created and Dalits should be given jobs on priority. They should be given houses to live and quality education so that their living standards can rise, she added.
In recent times, several leading politicans, including Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, had dinner at Dalit households.
A recent such visit by a UP government minister Suresh Rana got mired in controversy as there were reports suggesting he may have brought his own food and water.
The minister and his aides reached the home of a Dalit family in Aligarh to dine with them, but ordered food, mineral water and cutlery from outside as the family was not aware of the minister's visit, according to reports.
Pictures of a well laid out dining table with an assortment of dishes and cutlery went viral on the social media.
Minister Rana however rejected the allegations saying, "In fact, food was prepared in that village by the villagers themselves."
Last month, BJP MP Phoole had taken part in a rally in Lucknow to protest against her own government alleging there was a "conspiracy to end reservations". She said "there was a conspiracy to end reservation and her government just playing the role of a mute spectator".
Significantly, Phoole is not the only senior BJP leader who has raised questions about the trend of leaders rushing to Dalit homes for meals.
At the event held at Dadri village near Chhattarpur in Madhya Pradesh two days back, the Union Minister Uma Bharti had said she does not take part in such community meals as she doesn't consider herself Lord Rama, who would purify people by having food with them.
"I don't go to the houses of Dalits to have meals, though I support this (breaking bread with the people of scheduled caste category)," she said.
Bharti said instead, she invites Dalits to her home to have food.
"I want to share a secret with you. I don't take part in 'samrasta bhoj' (community meals) because I do not consider myself Lord Rama, who went to Shabri's home and the Dalits became purified," she said.
"I am not Lord Rama that if I sit with them, they will be purified...instead if they come to our home and sit in our kitchen, we will be sanctified," she said.
Bharti further said she believes that when she serves food to Dalits on her dining table, "her place...utensils will attain purity."
Since the last couple of months, the RSS and the BJP are promoting samrasta bhoj (community meals) to spread across the message of social harmony and to eradicate casteism.
Later, in a statement issued on May 1, Bharti said time has gone when for bringing "samrasta" one needed to have food with Dalits.
"Instead, now you have to bring them on par politically, socially, in government and administration, among others, to ensure harmony," she said.
The Union minister had expressed surprise when media persons asked her after the programme that she did not want to have food with Dalits.
In her statement, Bharti, also said she had clarified from the dais during the programme that she was not aware she was supposed to take food in the programme, organised by her close associate Harshu Maharaj.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)