New Delhi: Opposition members on Friday accused Centre of giving a raw deal to dalits citing Rohith Vemula’s suicide as glaring example of the same.
Participating in the discussion on Demand for Grants of Social Justice and Empowerment Ministry in Lok Sabha, they claimed that the ruling dispensation only paid lip service to B R Ambedkar and his ideals at a time when atrocities on dalits are growing.
Initiating the discussion, Santokh Singh Chowdhury (Congress) said Prime Minister Narendra Modi may have launched 'Swacchata Abhiyan' (cleanliness campaign) with much fanfare, but has ignored the plight of the scavengers.
He claimed that still lakhs of scavengers are forced to clean unhygienic toilets as the government has earmarked a mere Rs 10 crore for helping them.
Dalit students are not getting scholarships for higher education as the scheme of post matric scholarships is not properly implemented, Chowdhury said.
Vemula's suicide speaks volumes of the way dalits are treated in the education system, he said.
Making a veiled attack on RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat for his remarks advocating a review of the reservation system, the Congress MP said, "The remote that runs the government speaks of review of reservation which is a matter of serious concern."
Expressing concern over growing atrocities on dalits, he wanted the Centre to monitor the schemes for the welfare of weaker sections.
