Bengaluru riot fallout: BJP, Congress spar over Dalit rights

The BJP and the Congress engaged in a public spat over Dalit rights with Leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah questioning the saffron party’s credentials in protecting the interests of the Scheduled Castes.

The spat came a day after the BJP sought to corner the Congress over the attack on Pulakeshinagar MLA Akhanda Srinivas Murthy, a Dalit. BJP national general secretary (organisation) BL Santhosh led the charge on this.

“Santhosh has stopped chanting ‘Hindutva’ and has started chanting the ‘Dalit’ mantra,” Siddaramaiah said. “You say Hindus are one, but you still identify a Dalit legislator by his caste only to mock his struggle against caste discrimination. Shall we identify you by your caste, too?” he said to Santhosh, a Brahmin.

“Your party is in power in the state. You couldn’t protect the house of a Dalit MLA. Will it be possible to provide protection to the homes of crores of poor, helpless Dalits? Don’t you think this is a failure that should make your head hang in shame,” Siddaramaiah asked. “The National Crime Records Bureau report says it is during your regime that atrocities against Dalits doubled. Still, you conspired to weaken the law that seeks to prevent this. Is this your concern for Dalits?”

Former Congress minister BZ Zameer Ahmed Khan joined the debate and asked Santhosh how many Dalits the BJP had fielded to be elected to the Legislative Assembly, Council, BBMP and rural local bodies. “Forget that, have you even once spoken in favour of social justice? It’ll be better if you question your conscience before speaking on Dalits,” Khan said.

Responding to Siddaramaiah's tweet blitz, Santhosh said, "Ex-CM of Congress has tagged me in 13 tweets. Not one condemning riots or attack on his own party’s Dalit MLA or asking the government for tough actions. Same beating around the bush asking irrelevant questions to BJP. Fear of votes & policy of appeasement."

Hitting back, BJP state president Nalin Kumar Kateel said it was the Congress that always used the Dalits for political mileage. “For us, everybody is a Hindu; it’s your policy to divide and rule. It was you who pursued Ahinda, but involved only the Dalits,” he said. “It was you and your party that has used Dalits for political reasons. The Hindu dharma teaches Vasudaiva Kutumbakam and not burning the fire of hatred like you,” he said.

Union Minister Pralhad Joshi accused the Congress of pursuing vote bank politics. “The Bengaluru incident is in front of the people. Why did you take up silence when rioters destroyed precious property belonging to the people? Was it Islamophobia? Is that all the concern you have for Dalits?” Joshi said.