Centre’s committee to expedite SC categorisation: PM Narendra Modi at MRPS meet

HYDERABAD: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has assured the beleaguered Madiga community that the Centre will soon constitute a committee to oversee the speedy categorisation of Scheduled castes into subgroups.

Addressing the ‘Viswarupa’ public meeting organised by the MRPS at the Secunderabad parade grounds on Saturday, the Prime Minister said that he would end the injustice meted out to Madigas and praised the relentless efforts of MRPS leader Manda Krishna Madiga.

“This is my promise, very soon I will form a committee to find ways to categorisation. It is a lengthy process and the issue is in the Supreme Court, based on the Constitution and its promise of justice to all the Central Government will fight in favour of justice for Madigas,” Narendra Modi said. He further assured the crowds that he would work under the leadership of Krishna Madiga to achieve the SC categorisation.

Accusing the Congress and the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) parties of practicing anti-Dalit policies, he said that the BJP on the other hand believed in ‘Sab Ka Saath Sab Ka Vikas’, promising progress and development to all Indians irrespective of caste or creed.

“Telugu poet Gurram Joshua, fed up with the caste system prayed to the lord of Varanasi for deliverance. Fortunately, I am the MP of Varanasi. I feel it is my privilege to be present here to be a part of the meeting, the PM noted.

He said that many politicians and many Prime Ministers might have visited Hyderabad but no one dared to declare support for the Madiga cause. “Today I came here not to ask anything from you. I am here today to seek forgiveness on their behalf,” he said, adding that Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, who promised to make Dalit a Chief Minister of the State, failed to keep his promise. What happened to the three acres of land promised to Dalits and what happened to the crop loan waiver, he wanted to know. He alleged that only friends and close relatives of the BRS MLAs benefitted from the Dalit Bandhu scheme.

Remembering his association with the then BJP national president Bangaru Lakshman a Dalit, he said that he had his initial lessons in social justice from the great leader.

Accusing the BRS Government of turning irrigation schemes into scams, he said that the Congress and the BRS were two sides of the same coin. Many innocent people died for Telangana, but the BRS chief visited Sonia Gandhi and took a family photo with her.

“Be cautious about both parties. BRS is anti-Dalit, and Congress is no less than that. KCR demanded a new constitution belittling Ambedkar and Congress opposed Ambedkar and did not allow him to win elections,” Narendra Modi said.

He said that it was after the BJP-led NDA came to power a portrait of Baba Saheb was unveiled at the Parliament’s central hall and he was accorded Bharat Ratna posthumously. Enlisting several instances of the Congress Governments that ridiculed and belittled Dalit leaders, he recalled that the Congress not only opposed the appointment of Dalit IAS officer Heeralal Samaria’s appointment as the Chief Information Commissioner. The Congress also boycotted his swearing-in ceremony, the PM noted.

On the other hand, the BJP-led NDA Government made Ramnath Kovind an SC and Droupadi Murmu an ST as Presidents of India, he said, adding that even Congress party’s INDIA partner Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar humiliated Dalit leader Jiten Ram Manji in the Assembly.

The Prime Minister said that the Centre gave teeth to the existing SC-ST Atrocities Act and opened bank accounts for Dalits, built toilets and provided free ration. He said that he launched a Stand-up India scheme for weaker sections to help them start businesses. “In nine years, over 13 lakh SC students in Telangana were given scholarships worth Rs 1,000 crore,” he said.

Declaring that the Centre would procure 20 lakh tonnes of parboiled rice from Telangana this Kharif season, he urged the BRS Government not to create hurdles in its implementation.