New Delhi: In his last address to the BJP workers through the NaMo App in Karnataka where campaigning ended on Thursday for the May 12 Assembly polls, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said there is “no place for Dalits and Backward Classes in the heart of the Congress.” Addressing the BJP’s SC/ST/OBC and slum morcha workers through the App, Mr Modi said that his government is trying to fulfil Dr B.R. Ambedkar’s dream of a powerful and prosperous nation.
Mr Modi had earlier interacted with the BJP’s farmers, women and youth wings. The BJP said that the PM has interacted with nearly 25 lakh people in Karnataka and claimed that Mr Modi is the only global leader to have adopted this unique communication tool. The party claimed that the interaction with the leaders of various party wings has helped him reach the last mile worker of the organisation, sending them the message that they can directly interact with the prime minister.
Launching a blistering attack on the Congress over the way it has treated Dalits, Mr Modi said the party showed no respect for Ambedkar. He alleged that the Congress used “all its power” to defeat Ambedkar when he contested Lok Sabha election in 1952 and Bandara Lok Sabha by-election in 1953. “That is the reason why Baba Saheb had to face defeat and insult. Let Congress show at least one thing it did to honour Baba Saheb,” said the Prime Minister. He further said that this has been happening for decades and till the Congress was in power, Baba Saheb was not given Bharat Ratna. He also said the Congress never thought of giving constitutional status to OBC Commission.
Maintaining that Ambedkar dreamt of an India which takes everybody forward together, he said the BJP is trying to fulfil his dream by implementing various schemes. He said the central government is making efforts to ensure there is social justice and equality. Mr Modi cited government schemes of ‘Stand Up’ and ‘Mudra’ to stress that they are playing a major role in the financial empowerment of SC/ST, OBCs and women.
Noting that the BJP has the most number of MPs belonging these categories, Mr Modi said, it was for the first time after Independence that the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government created a separate ministry for scheduled tribes. He said it was under Mr Vajpayee that the government created a separate national commission for STs.
