Senior BJP leader and former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Uma Bharti on Wednesday landed in controversy after she allegedly claimed that dalits would not become pure and pious if she ate at their homes, Times Now reported.
According to news agency ANI, Uma Bharti said, “Hum Bhagwan Ram nahi hain ki Daliton ke saath bhojan karenge toh ve pavitra ho jayenge. Jab Dalit hamare ghar aakar saath baithkar bhojan karenge, tab hum pavitra ho payenge. Dalit ko jab main apne ghar mein apne haathon se khaana parosungi tab mera ghar dhanya ho jayega.” (We are not Lord Ram that if we have food at Dalits’ house, they will become pure and pious. When Dalits will have food at our house along with us, then only we will be able to become pure and pious. When I will myself serve food to Dalits at my home, then my house will become blessed.)
Bharti’s statement comes on the same day it was reported that Uttar Pradesh cabinet minister Suresh Rana ate food prepared by a caterer at the house of a dalit family in Aligarh on Monday.
According to a Times of India report, Rana and several other BJP leaders visited the residence of Rajnish Kumar in Lohgarh in Aligrah district around 11 pm, as part of the BJP’s ‘outreach program’ for the Dalit community.
A spokesperson said that the visit was a formality and a ‘photo op’ for the minister to be at a Dalit’s house”.
However, Rana rubbished the allegations. "The whole village (in Aligarh) is inhabited by Dalits, I received a lot of affection, the food was prepared in the village itself, some people are trying to unnecessarily create issues, such people can't stand development being done by Yogi ji & Modi ji," said Rana while speaking to ANI.
Under the ‘Gram Swaraj Abhiyan’, which was launched earlier this month, the BJP has asked its MPs, including union ministers to spend at least a night in villages where SCs/STs constitute over 50% of the population. They have been asked to ensure everyone in such villages is covered under government schemes that aim to provide LPG connections, vaccination to children, 'Jan Dhan' accounts and electricity for households.
The campaign is being seen as a part of the BJP’s massive outreach to the rural poor, especially the Dalits, as it gears up for a string of assembly elections leading to the Lok Sabha polls due next year.
