Bengaluru, Aug 29 (DHNS): An elated Shobha showed off her shining new red saree. “I’ve been walking around wearing old sarees. I have a new one now, ” she said. The 57-year-old woman from Hubballi was among 102 Dalits who had lunch with BJP state president B S Yeddyurappa at his posh Dollars Colony home here on Monday.

The Dalit families Yeddyurappa hosted were those whose homes he visited for breakfast and lunch during his Jan Sampark Abhiyan between May and June this year. Not only did Yeddyurappa personally serve them lunch, he also gave away parting gifts - two pairs of sarees for women and two pairs of dhoti-shalya and shirts for men.

Dalits make up one of the largest chunks of voters. Even the Congress and JD(S) are drawing up plans to reach out to them ahead of the 2018 Assembly polls.

“I have specific plans for the upliftment of the marginalised communities. I will tell you what they are once I return to power,” Yeddyurappa told the Dalit families. “My visit to your homes is afresh in my eyes. Many homes didn’t have proper kitchens and rooms. Still, you invited me despite facing opposition. I will never forget it.”

Hitting out at Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee President G Parameshwara for criticising his outreach effort, Yeddyurappa said: “I want to ask them, have you invited Dalits to your home? Have you visited Dalit mohallas? There is an awakening among Dalits now and they will teach the Congress a lesson.”

The families were accompanied by some Dalit faces of the BJP - former ministers Govind M Karjol and A Narayanaswamy, legislator D Veeraiah, former IAS officer Shivaram and party state general secretary N Ravi Kumar.

Transportation arranged

BJP district units were made responsible to ensure travel arrangement of the Dalit families and ensure they reached Yeddyurappa’s Dollar Colony home on Monday morning. Post lunch, two buses were arranged to take the families on a tour of the Vidhana Soudha, ISKCON temple, Cubbon Park and Lalbagh. “Four-fifths of the families have never visited Bengaluru,” Yeddyurappa said.

Dalit seer Madara Chennaiah Swami from Chitradurga was also present. “Contrary to popular belief, Dalits face atrocities at the hands of Other Backward Classes (OBCs) and not Veerashaiva Lingayats or Vokkaligas,” he said.

“Senior IAS officer Ratna Prabha was not made Chief Secretary. Who was responsible for that,” he asked.