Mallikarjun Kharge Tears Into BJP's Anti-Dalit Policies

Tearing into BJP”s anti-Dalit policies, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge today lashed out at the party for rewarding a three-time Congress legislator, who had been refused party ticket for assaulting a Dalit, with a BJP ticket to contest Vidhan Sabha elections.

While addressing a public meeting today, he said that he had personally gone to meet Harsh Valmiki, a Dalit engineer who had been brutally assaulted by a former Congress leader and three-time MLA, Giriraj Malinga. He said Valmiki was still undergoing treatment in a hospital.

The Congress president said, even though the party rejected the ticket for assaulting a Dalit even at the risk of loosing election, the BJP inducted him into the party and rewarded him with the party ticket. He asked BJP what happened to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s claims of taking care of the poor and the Dalits.

Mr Kharge accused the Prime Minister of showing fake concern for the Dalits during a rally in Hyderabad recently where he hugged a Dalit leader. He alleged that the Prime Minister was trying to divide the Dalits by suggesting sub-categorisation of the community. He asked what stopped the Prime Minister from doing justice, as there was a BJP government at the centre and a friendly “double-engine” government in Telangana.

Mr Kharge also took a jibe at the Prime Minister for addressing empty chairs during his Bharatpur rally today. “Modi can address a single chair even”, he remarked in a sarcastic note, he then said to the Congress workers jokingly that they should go to fill Modi’s rallies as they can also get some information from there.

He then spoke about the Agniveer scheme and the Congress President promised to have a relook at it. He said he understood the problem of those joining the army and returning within four years and becoming unemployed once again. He said that is why the Congress had strongly opposed the scheme in both the Lok Sabha as well as the Rajya Sabha.

Mr Kharge also referred to Mr Modi’s promises of depositing Rs 15 lakhs in every Indians bank account, providing two crore jobs every year and doubling the income of the farmers. He said, compared to that, the Congress fulfills all its promises, as it does not lie like the BJP and its leaders.

He then accused the Prime Minister of working for his billionaire friends only. BJP refuses to waive off the debts of farmers but had waived off Rs 15 lakh crore dept of rich and billionaires. He also alleged that all the Congress made heavy industries in the public sector was sold off by the Modi government to its favourite billionaire friends like Adani and Ambani.

The Congress president reiterated, among other things, the several guarantees for the people of the state, which will be over and above what the Congress government is already providing to people in Rajasthan. These include Rs 10,000 every year to the woman head of every family, free laptops/tablets to government college students in their first year, English medium education for all, gas cylinders for Rs 500 each, procurement of cow dung at the rate of Rs 2 per kg, legal guarantee of old pension scheme for government employees and Rs 15 lakhs insurance cover for everyone against natural calamities.

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, senior leaders Mohan Prakash, Udit Raj and others were also present in the meeting.