Rahul Gandhi was sleeping when Lok Sabha was discussing Dalit issue: Anandiben Patel

AHMEDABAD: Questioning Rahul Gandhi's seriousness about the Dalit cause, Gujarat Chief Minister Anandiben Patel today said that during the discussion in Lok Sabha on the Dalit atrocity issue, he was sleeping.

The Congress Vice President had visited Rajkot and Mota Samadhiyala village in Una tehsil of Gir-Somnath district on July 21 and met the Dalit youths who had been flogged by a cow protection group.

"A day before his visit here, Rahul baba was caught sleeping in Lok Sabha when our Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh was informing the House about this issue and steps taken by the Gujarat government. This is Congress for you," Patel told reporters at Chotila in Surendranagar district.

She also slammed Rahul over his allegation that there had been no development in Gujarat under the BJP rule.

"If nothing else, he must have seen the road when he travelled from Una to Rajkot. That well-maintained road says everything about the development in Gujarat," said Patel.

As the incident of atrocities at Una and Mota Samadhiyala hit the national headlines, apart from Gandhi, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Janata Dal (U) leader Sharad Yadav, CPI leader D Raja and CPM leader Brinda Karat visited the victims during the last two days.

Union Minister of State for Agriculture Parshottam Rupala met the family members of victims today.

"People like Brinda Karat and her party have been uprooted from West Bengal. They have lost their ground there and no one is listening to them. So they are now coming here to target the Gujarat government. Such leaders are coming here only to defame the Prime Minister," Rupala told reporters.

"These leaders came here, talked and went away. Real work is being done by BJP workers who stay in touch with these families and inform us about their real problems. This is the difference between them and us," he said.