Congress committed to empowerment of Dalits: Muniyappa

KANPUR: Union Minister K H Muniyappa today said Rahul Gandhi has always thought about the welfare of Dalits and Congress is committed for the empowerment of the community.

"Congress has always been committed to the upliftment of Dalits," the Minister of State of the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises said at the conclusion ceremony of international trade fair here.

He, however, refused to comment on Rahul's allegations against Mayawati that she is against Dalit empowerment.

Rahul had yesterday accused Mayawati of not allowing any Scheduled Caste leader to rise in Uttar Pradesh, as he said the Dalit community needs "escape velocity" of Jupiter to underline that they needed to make more efforts for success.

"Our party aims at the development of all the sections of society," the Union minister said.

Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises would be providing eight lakh jobs to youths by year end with the support of one lakh industrialists, he said.

The government will extend all possible help to such industrialists, he said.

Muniyappa also agreed to the demand of opening a testing lab at Kanpur.