Express News Service
LUCKNOW: BJP government’s Dalit outreach programme and the approach of its ministers and lawmakers towards it has left the dispensation inexplicably embarrassed in the recent past. Latest is a gaffe by UP cabinet minister Anupama Jaiswal who claimed on Friday that BJP ministers were reaching out to Dalits, sleeping in the open and braving the mosquitoes.
A casual statement by Cabinet Minister Anupama Jaiswal baffled the party and drew opposition’s ire. She claimed that the BJP leaders, even the women like her, were reaching out to the Dalits in villages and holding chaupals with them even while sleeping in the open braving the mosquitoes. “But it gives immense satisfaction,” she said.
She was responding to a query over the controversy broke out a couple of days ago when her cabinet colleague Suresh Rana, during one such chaupal in a village in Aligarh, allegedly got food from outside and had it at a Dalit household. However, the minister had refuted all allegations and claimed that the food was cooked and arranged by the villagers including the party MLA who is also a Dalit.
“Ours is the first government reaching out to the villages, holding chaupals, spending night in open braving the mosquitoes. It gives one satisfaction and happiness and also reflects the commitment of the state government to take the welfare schemes to those they are meant for,” Jaiswal claimed.
She said she had organised four such chaupals and three more were lined up. “Even after that if the CM would want, I am prepared to hold more chaupals and make the villagers aware of the schemes meant for their welfare,” state the minister.
Besides, Suresh Rana, another minister Rajendra Pratap Singh had compared visits to the Dalit houses with that of Lord Ram visiting Shabari and liberating the Dalits.
Meanwhile, party’s disgruntled Dalit MP from Bahraich Savitribai Phule condemned the Dalit outreach programmes as insult to the community.
Already going vocal against Centre’s schemes meant for Dalits, Phule questioned Yogi’s Dalit outreach programme and village chaupals.
Notably, BJP ministers are visiting Dalit households in different villages across the state under ‘Gram swaraj programme’ of the state government, having food with them and spending night there. Phule has found it humiliating for the Dalits. She contended that the ministers were sharing food with dalits and posting pictures on social media to gain publicity. “It will serve no purpose rather it is an insult to the downtrodden section of society,” she averred.
She advocated abolition of caste system in accordance with Dr BR Ambedkar’s idea of society. “If caste barriers are removed and food is sahred with them without acknowledging their caste, then it will be an honour to a Dalit,” said the MP adding: “Otherwise, it is just a hogwash. Ministers visit them but neither Dalit prepares the food nor serves it. It is just his house. I don’t agree with this initiative,” she said.
Phule had organised a rally on April 1 against Centre’s policies for Dalits calling them inadequate to uplift the dalits and downtrodden.
