Baba Ramdev’s remarks against Dalits could spoil BJP’s chances of wooing community

Baba Ramdev’s derogatory remarks against the Dalits could spoil BJP’s chances of wooing the community since Ramdev is seen as a BJP fellow traveller who has endorsed the saffron party’s PM prospect Narendra Modi.

Ramdev attacked Congress V-P Rahul Gandhi at a function in Lucknow on Friday, saying he goes to Dalit homes for “honeymoon and picnic”, inviting public outrage as well as the EC ire.

Though Ramdev offered his apologies, it didn’t cut much ice with the community. “I did not mean to insult Rahul Gandhi or the Dalits. Rahul Gandhi indulges in publicity, with photos of him sitting in the homes of Dalits. If my statement has hurt the Dalits, I regret it,” said the yoga guru. Dalit champion and former UP CM Mayawati wasted no time demanding his arrest.

While she condemned Ramdev’s remarks, she also sought to pin down BJP which many believe was making inroads into the Dalit votebank. The saffron party had been trying to reach out to the non-Jatav Dalits to shore up its numbers in UP, where it currently languishes at the fourth place.

Under Modi’s hand-picked general secretary in charge of UP, Amit Shah, the party had been working hard to woo a section of the Dalits like the Valmikis, Khatiks, Bhangis, etc.

But political observers feel Ramdev’s remarks might antagonise the Dalits. Prof Badri Narain of GB Pant Social Science Institute, Allahabad, thinks Ramdev’s remarks were derogatory and insulting to the community and now they will consolidate behind Mayawati.

Dalit writer and political commentator Chandrabhan Prasad said, “Ramdev reflected a typical mentality that people have towards Dalits. But though Dalits might move away from BJP after his remarks, it may help the party consolidate some OBC votes.”