Congress allegation of Dalit oppression under Modi rule is wrong, says NDA ally Athawale

RPI's Ramdas Athawale in an interview to ThePrint says Bhima-Koregaon clashes will have no impact on BJP’s performance in Lok Sabha elections.

File photo of Ramdas Athawale | PTI

Mumbai: The Congress’ allegation that Dalits are being oppressed under Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led NDA government is “completely wrong” and made only to malign the PM’s image, said Ramdas Athawale, president of NDA ally Republican Party of India (RPI).

Speaking to ThePrint in an exclusive interview, Athawale, the Union Minister of State for Social Justice, said the BJP has done much more for the Dalits than the Congress, and the party’s propaganda about the Constitution drafted by Dr B.R. Ambedkar being under threat is “misinformed.”

“The amount of work that Modiji has done for the Dalits, no one else has… Babasaheb Ambedkar wrote the Constitution and the Congress is trying to spread a sentiment among people that this government will change the Constitution. But, Modiji always says that if we didn’t have Babasaheb Ambedkar’s Constitution, chai wallah Modi would have never become the prime minister,” Athawale, a Dalit himself, said.

“This campaigning about Dalits not being with Modi is wrong. The BJP has changed its entire face. They have made their face secular,” he added.

‘Will support BJP even if RPI does not get a seat to contest’

Athawale said his party will continue to support the BJP even if RPI does not get a seat to contest from Maharashtra in the Lok Sabha elections. In Mahatrashtra, the BJP has entered into an alliance with the Shiv Sena to give a strong fight to the opposition.

“Dalits have got permanent houses under the (Pradhan Mantri) Awas Yojana, gas cylinders under the Ujjwala Yojana and work on the Babasaheb Ambedkar memorial at Indu Mills has picked up pace,” said Athawale. In Delhi, a Rs 100-crore memorial has been built where Babasaheb had written the Constitution. His residence while in London has been acquired. Narendra Modi respects Babasaheb a lot. So, my party has decided, whether or not we get a seat (to contest), it is important that we stay with Modiji.”

The RPI chief added that talks with the BJP were underway to extend other benefits such as continuation of his Rajya Sabha seat, a ministerial berth and a better share of seats in Maharashtra Assembly elections, among others.

‘Bhima Koregaon will have no impact on polls’

Athawale said there was no resentment among Dalits after the violence in Bhima-Koregaon, which was the site of clashes on 1 January 2018, the 200th anniversary of a battle in which the British army comprising Dalits defeated a bigger force of the Brahmin Peshwa.

“The government handled the incident very well…the government also helped our people a lot after the incident. I don’t think there is any need to create a negative sentiment against the government regarding this. Since then, not even a single village in that area saw any violence,” Athawale said, adding that his party had supported the ‘bandh’ following the incident called by Babasaheb’s grandson, Prakash Ambedkar.

“Bhima-Koregaon will have no negative impact on the BJP in the upcoming elections. The BJP-Shiv Sena-RPI will get a good share of the Dalit votes.”

The RPI leader also said that Prakash’s Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi, a coalition of several organisations representing the marginalised sections of the society, will ultimately end up helping the BJP-Shiv Sena.

Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi is contesting the Lok Sabha elections with its leader, Prakash, contesting from both Akola and Solapur constituencies.

“Vanchiton ko satta se vanchit rakhne wali aghadi hain (It is a coalition to keep the marginalised away from power). If they really wanted to give power to the marginalised, they should have allied with either the BJP or the Congress. Ultimately, the votes that Ambedkar’s Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi will cut, will end up benefitting the BJP-Shiv Sena,” Athawale said.

“They (Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi) have specified the castes of their different candidates. This means while Babasaheb tried to abolish caste divisions, they are spelling out caste differences and fuelling caste divides.”