BJP’s Chitradurga MP A Narayanaswamy, who was denied entry into a village because he is a Scheduled Caste, has vowed to remove untouchability and superstition in his constituency.
On Monday, Narayanaswamy was not allowed to enter Gollarahatti (Golla community settlement) of Pemmanahalli in Pavagada taluk of Tumakuru district, leading to widespread furore. The MP himself does not want to pursue legal action, preferring a cultural solution instead, to root out casteism.
Narayanaswamy told reporters that he visited the village with his team to assess its development needs. “Housing, drinking water, schools...I wanted to see how the village can be developed,” he said.
Apparently, when the MP reached the middle of the village, he was stopped from entering the Golla settlement. “I was told that my predecessors B N Chandrappa, D Manjunath and former MLA Thimmarayappa also did not enter the village. I argued that it was regressive and tried to convince them that I was visiting the village to understand their problems,” Narayanaswamy said.
“Politicians of the past did not think of bringing the villages into 21st century India, but I want to,” he said.
“The previous Congress government spent Rs 180 crore to survey the socio-economic conditions of castes. This report never came out because it would have shown that nothing had been done for the last 70 years.”
Following outrage over the incident, Golla community seer Sri Krishna Yadavananda along with other leaders visited the settlement on Tuesday.
The villagers resolved to organise an event in the presence of Narayanaswamy on Friday. “It was not right to deny him entry. We must mingle with members of all communities and should not discriminate,” the seer advised.
Narayanaswamy appealed for a collective effort.
“The government, the mutts, nonprofits and officials should join hands against this. Let them sit in these villages and win people’s hearts.”
Asked if he will fight against untouchability and superstition, Narayanaswamy said: “Cent per cent.”
