Rahul Gandhi vows more Dalit leaders at all levels

NEW DELHI: Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi has said no political party, including his own, has worked towards grooming Dalit leaders even as he attacked Dalit leader and Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati for this lapse and promised to field more candidates from the community.

"You ask in UP for five Dalit leaders and the answer you will hear is Mayawati, Mayawati, Mayawati, Mayawati and Mayawati," the Congress scion said on Tuesday, addressing a meet - 'National Dialogue on Social Disparities' - organised by the National Commission for Scheduled Castes. The Congress scion, who has been making concerted efforts to make a dent in the BSP's support base among the Dalits, added, "I want that there should be a queue of (Dalit) leaders at all levels, in UP, Delhi, at block levels, in villages...."

Gandhi said he often visited Uttar Pradesh and found in 99% of the schools that upper caste students sat in the front rows while Dalit students were pushed to the back of the class. The situation is the same in the rest of the country since no political party has groomed Dalit leaders, he said. "When people talk of Dalit leadership, I don't see anyone. I want to build Dalit leadership at all levels - zila, block, assembly. I want such a leadership that to fill one post I should get 100 candidates so that I get more choice." The problem is related to ticket distribution, Gandhi said and promised to make it more representative.