BJP gave representation to OBCs, SCs, STs, served the poor: PM Modi

In the face of mounting criticism from the Opposition over his government’s handling of the Covid-19 crisis and in particular the plight of migrants, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday highlighted the party’s campaign to serve the poor during the lockdown and flagged the political representation given by BJP to OBCs, SCs and STs.

“At a time when everyone in the world is engaged in protecting oneself, we have dedicated ourselves to the service of the poor, ignoring personal concerns. Our karyakartas knew that they were taking risks, but continued to work with full dedication during this pandemic. Some workers even lost their lives while serving the people and the nation,” Modi said addressing a video meeting attended by top Union ministers and party chiefs of seven states affected by the migrant issue.

Modi asserted that the BJP has worked to empower deprived and poor sections of the society. He said that it has 52 Schedules Castes, 43 tribal and more than 113 OBC MPs.

Notably, most of the migrant population comes from these three sections.

Modi’s attempt came amid the campaign by the Opposition over the deaths of hundreds of migrants and poor during the lockdown, with Bihar polls due in October this year and West Bengal polls due in April-May 2021. UP polls are due in 2022.

Reviewing BJP’s ‘Seva Hi Sangathan Abhiyan’, party chief J P Nadda claimed to have reached out to 72 lakh party workers through video and audio communications. He added that BJP workers served food kits to 27 crore people and face masks to 5 crore people.

Modi, who also spoke in Bhojpuri and Marathi to woo the party workers in Bihar and Maharashtra, said a digital booklet should be published on the efforts by September 25, the birth anniversary of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya.

Modi had earlier launched an employment scheme ‘Garib Kalyan Rozgar Abhiyan’ with an outlay of Rs 50,000 crore for 116 districts of six states with high migrant population.

As Corona is gradually becoming a poll issue and the Opposition has managed to build an emotive narrative around the migrant issue, BJP has decided to take it head on, making a pro-farmer, pro poor ;pitch and asking party workers to shed diffidence on the issue.