Udit Raj accuses Arvind Kejriwal of cheating Dalits

NEW DELHI: BJP leader Udit Raj today accused Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal of "cheating" the dalits in the recently held Delhi Assembly elections.

"Arvind Kejriwal is free to hold on to his opinion on any subject but he should not cheat and exploit the votes of dalits as he did in the recently concluded Delhi Assembly Elections. The reservation is lifeline of SC and ST and he exploited this sentiment to the hilt," said the Dalit leader who recently joined BJP.

Referring to a lecture given by Kejriwal on August 2 in 2008 at Jawaharlal Nehru University, Raj said that Kejriwal supported the activities of Youth for Equality Forum.

The Youth for Equality Forum was floated in 2006 mainly by AIIMS Doctors and one among them was Dr K K Mishra who opposed reservation given to OBCs in higher education. JNU students opposed him tooth and nail on reservation issue in the meeting.

"If he is honest and ethical person, then he should inform dalits that he does not like reservation. Mental corruption is more dangerous than economic corruption and it can ruin the nation," Raj said. Raj further said that AAP attracted the safai karmacharies most as he promised to do away with contractual work saying their jobs would be regularized.

"The broom (Jharu) is main instrument of their livelihood and they were struck emotionally by AAP symbol. He also promised that dalits will be given loans without interest for entrepreneurship. So far AAP has not come out clearly on the issue of reservation," Raj said.