BJP MP slams party's Dalit outreach campaign

The BJP on Thursday was left embarrassed once again after one of its Dalit MP slammed the ‘Dalit outreach’ campaign of the saffron party and termed it as “humiliation” of the community.

Bharatiya Janata Party Lok Sabha member from Bahraich Savitri Bai Phule said on Thursday said that dining with Dalits would not serve any purpose and would not benefit the party in any way.

“These leaders visit Dalit homes....snap pictures and record videos and share them on social networking sites...it is humiliating for the Dalit community,” she said.

Phule also said BJP leaders took their own utensils and cutlery when they visited the Dalit homes. “Dalits should be provided houses...given facilities for educating their children...these things will benefit them,” she added.

On Wednesday, a UP minister had triggered controversy after he reportedly ordered food from outside while visiting Dalit households.

Earlier also Phule had criticised the remarks of some BJP leaders on the issue of reservation and expressed apprehension that the Centre could scrape it. She had also held a rally in the state capital earlier this month to register her protest on the issue and press for her demands that included extending reservations to the private sector and also in the promotions.

Several Dalit BJP MPs had criticised the saffron party over the reservation and SC/ST Act issue. They had also attacked UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for falsely implicating Dalit youths in criminal cases after the Bharat Bandh earlier this month.