Cong ‘paid’ for ignoring Dalits

Nitish Sharma

Tribune News Service

Kurukshetra, December 27

Scheduled Castes leaders of the Congress today complained to All India Congress Committee general secretary Shakeel Ahmad that they were ignored by senior Congress leaders when the party was in power.

AICC general secretary Shakeel Ahmad, AICC secretary Asha Kumari, HPCC chief Ashok Tanwar and several other party leaders were in the district to attend the two-day SC Congress leaders’ conclave on Sunday.

During the concluding session, the SC leaders said their interests were ignored and no major step was taken for the welfare of Dalits during the Congress regime that led to its fall in the state.

Rajat, an activist, said, “After the Mirchpur incident, a series of cases of atrocities against Dalits came to light but the government failed to act properly. The atrocities against Dalits and government inaction were the prime reasons behind the Congress’s defeat in the last elections.”

He said, “If Rahul Gandhi can come and visit the Dalits who have faced atrocities then why the local Congress leaders can’t. There was an atmosphere of Jats verses non-Jats and leaders feel that they will suffer loss if they will go against Jats. The same thing is still happening.”

Rajkumar Kataria, another worker, said, “The Congress failed to give representation to Dalits during its regime. Instead of just doing the formality, the right representation and respect should be given to the community.”

Assuring the workers of presenting their views before AICC president Sonia Gandhi, Shakeel Ahmad said, “All complaints and suggestions have been noted and they will be incorporated in the party’s Dalit agenda.”

Targeting the BJP and the RSS, Ahmad said, “The BJP has no role model to present while the RSS never participated in the struggle for freedom. It has been doing politics in the name of Saradar Patel and Ambedkar. While Sardar Patel had banned the RSS after the killing of Mahatma Gandhi, the BJP never followed Ambedkar.”

Talking to mediapersons, Ahmad said, “Workers have shown their resentment. Their views will be presented and will be kept in mind when the Congress will come to power.” HPCC chief Ashok Tanwar said, “Workers have presented their suggestions and a resolution has been passed. More such conclaves will be organised in future.”

Tanwar advised the workers to show unity and help Congress men win the Panchayat elections.