Himachal Congress promises caste-inclusive committees

Himachal Congress president Vinay Kumar has said people from all castes will be given appropriate representation in the party’s state, district and block-level committees.

Participating as a special guest at the state-level meeting of the Scheduled Caste Department of the Congress, Kumar said there was a need for unity to counter the BJP, which, he alleged, was weakening democracy and the Constitution.

Earlier, national president of the Congress Scheduled Castes Department Rajendra Pal Gautam highlighted the life and contributions of BR Ambedkar, calling upon party workers to draw inspiration from his struggles and ideals. He said Ambedkar had safeguarded the rights of Scheduled Castes through the Constitution.

Gautam alleged that the BJP-led Central government was undermining constitutional values and diluting the rights of Scheduled Castes. “The rights of the poor and Dalits are being taken away. Education has been made so expensive that even the middle class is struggling to afford it,” he said. He further claimed that the BJP was dismantling the framework of social justice established by the Congress and depriving people of the benefits and protections ensured under it.