Amit Shah says Narendra Modi’s policies more pro-dalit than that of Congress

BJP national president Amit Shah on Friday distanced his party from Union minister Anantkumar Hegde’s statement on amending the Constitution during election campaign in Karnataka.

Shah tried to convince the audience at a Dalit interaction programme that PM Modi’s policies were more pro-Dalit than that of Congress governments either at the Centre or in the state. On Hegde’s statement about amending the Constitution against reservation for Dalits, Shah said: “I am making it clear that the BJP has nothing to do with Hegde’s statement.”



Dalit Sangharsha Samithi convener for Mysuru district, Chornalli Shivanna, said: “You invited us for discussion. You say BJP doesn’t support Hegde’s statement. So why is he still in the Union cabinet?”

Former minister Srinivas Prasad, who moved to BJP after being dropped by chief minister Siddaramaiah from his cabinet in 2016, set the tone for the meeting by asking Shah to clarify BJP’s position on Hegde’s statement. This was followed by a Mysore University professor, A Balasubramanyam, asking Shah about the backlog in educational institutions for promotions to Dalits and the demand for reservation in private institutions.

An M Phil graduate, Prafulla Malladi, wanted to know why BJP had not passed the Women’s Reservation Bill and whether there could be 50% internal reservation in the proposed 33% for Dalit women. A pourakarmika (civic cleaner) leader, BS Subramanya, who said he and his ilk implemented the PM’s Swachh Bharat concept, wanted to know what BJP would do for them.

Shah said a cabinet sub-committee was looking into the issue of backlogs. On Women’s Reservation Bill, he said: “We are trying to develop a consensus on the matter. BJP is pro-women.” He assured the pourakarmika leader that their concerns would be addressed in his party manifesto. During his address, Shah highlighted the pro-Dalit steps taken by the Modi government.