From Our Special Correspondent

Daijiworld Media Network

Bengaluru, Aug 22: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has lambasted the BJP leaders for playing the “Dalit Card” over the alleged insult to Governor Thaawar Chand Gehlot by citing his Dalit identity while not answering Congress questions on the “wrongful actions” of Raj Bhavan are causing “insult to the self-respecting Dalit community.”

In his reaction to BJP criticism for Congress leaders for attacking the Governor over his according sanction for prosecution in the MUDA site allotment scam, the chief minister said: “The same BJP leaders who preach that ‘caste doesn’t exist among Hindus, only religion does’, conveniently remember caste when it serves their purpose.”

“To the BJP leaders protesting on behalf of the Governor, I have a few simple questions:

• If you truly respect and admire Thaawar Chand Gehlot, who belongs to the Dalit community, why did you appoint him as Governor and confine him to a ceremonial role instead of keeping him in the Union Cabinet?
• Why did you curtail his active political career and relegate him to the ‘Margdarshak Mandal,’ which is often seen as a political retirement home, when he was still capable of contributing significantly?
• By removing him from his ministerial role and using him as a pawn in your political battles, aren’t you committing a grave injustice and insult to the Dalit community?
• Did your conscience not trouble you at all while using a Dalit leader for your own political gain?”

“The Dalit community is well aware of BJP and Sangh Parivar’s manipulative politics, where Dalits are used and discarded as per convenience. They aren’t naive enough to be fooled by the crocodile tears you’re shedding in the name of Dalits now. At least Atal Bihari Vajpayee appointed Bangaru Laxman, a leader from the Dalit community, as the National President of the party. But the ‘Sanghi mindset’ within BJP couldn’t tolerate that and falsely accused him of corruption, leading to his untimely demise,” Siddaramaiah said.

He asked the BJP leaders to “Take a lesson from how our party’s senior leaders treat Mallikarjun Kharge, our current national president, who also belongs to the Dalit community, with the utmost respect and dignity. Siddaramaiah said the BJP leaders, who are “trying to change the Constitution, oppose reservations, and secretly harbour caste discrimination, have no moral right to speak about Dalits.”

“If you genuinely respect the Dalit community, stop putting political pressure on Thaawar Chand Gehlot to act against his conscience. Let him perform his duties in line with the Constitution, and end this drama of protests,” the chief minister
added.