A Dalit BJP MP from Uttar Pradesh has formally complained to the Prime Minister and the National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) against chief minister Yogi Adityanath, UP BJP chief Mahendra Nath Pandey and another leader, Sunil Bansal.
According to a report by NDTV, the MP, Chhote Lal Kharwar, who represents UP’s Robertsganj constituency, has written letters to PM Modi and NCSC in which he has raised some serious complaints against Adiyanath saying that he met the chief minister twice, but was "scolded and thrown out".
"You see, I exhausted all my options internally within the party, that is why I went to the National Commission for Scheduled Castes,” the MP said.
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The report has come at a time the ruling BJP is facing massive protests by Dalit groups over the Supreme Court’s order on SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. At least 11 people were killed in the massive protest erupted in various parts of the country. Even though the Centre has maintained that it was never made a “formal party” in the alleged watering down of the SC/ST Act, the Opposition camp has attacked government saying that it was a “wiling party” in the case. A group of Dalit MPs, including from BJP, had met Prime Minister Modi to convey their concern over the issue.
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Recently, another BJP MP Savitri Bai Phule had openly attacked her own government at the Centre over reservations, the recent incidents of desecration of B R Ambedkar’s statues and the rise in crimes against her community.
Another Dalit BJP MP from Northwest Delhi Dr Udit Raj had also raised discontent over his own government in an interview to a news portal. "They did not ask me a thing in the four years of their governance. I shared my opinion with them on my own. How am I supposed to keep giving perspective when I am not even asked for it?" he had said.
The government clearly being on the back foot over the dalit issues, PM Modi had said that no other government honoured dalit icon Ambedkar as his government did.
Speaking to NDTV, Chhote Lal Kharwar said that the Prime Minister has assured him that action will be taken after he lodged his complaint.
In his letter, he also said that corruption is rampant in UP under the Adityanath government.
