Dalits ‘given soaps ahead of UP CM visit’, oppn alleges casteism
02:24AM Mon 29 May, 2017
NEW DELHI: A day after it was reported that dalit families in Kushinagar district received two bars of soap and a sachet of shampoo and were "instructed to bathe before the visit of UP chief minister Yogi Aditya Nath", the opposition was up in arms.
Congress on Sunday demanded that the CM be booked under the provisions of SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, accusing him of casteist action.
Congress spokesman Abhishek Singhvi said videos showed that officials distributed soaps and shampoo sachets to 'musahars' (among the most disadvantaged SC group) of Mainpur Deenapatti village with the direction that they should bathe before going for Adityanath's public meeting on Thursday.
"The country has battled against untouchability for 5,000 years. Mahatma Gandhi, other great leaders and Congress stood up against this social evil. But in recent days, the UP chief minister has negated that struggle and, along with BJP, demonstrated their petty mind and prejudice," he said, add ing that the CM and his group had shown support for untouchability.
"It is proved that he is not a yogi but a 'bhogi'," Singhvi said, adding, "It is repulsive, especially coming from the guardian of the state."
Congress said "the anti-dalit mindset" of BJP-RSS was evide nt in the flogging of dalits in Una and the recent attacks on Dalits in Saharanpur. "We demand that the CM apologise to the 'musahar' community and to the entire village, and that he and the officials concerned be booked under the SC/ST Act", Singhvi said.
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