New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is launching a counter-campaign targeting the Congress and Samajwadi Party (SP) on Dalit issues, a direct response to the opposition’s aggressive criticism of Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s recent remarks on BR Ambedkar. This strategic move aims to consolidate the Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) community and deflect criticism stemming from the controversy surrounding Shah’s statements.
The party has instructed its SC/ST Morcha to conduct a comprehensive campaign across all assembly constituencies in Uttar Pradesh (UP). This initiative focuses on highlighting what the BJP frames as anti-Dalit policies and actions undertaken by previous Congress and SP governments, both at the national and state levels.
Ram Chandra Kannaujia, president of the UP BJP SC/ST Morcha, confirmed the party’s plan to launch a ground-level campaign to counter the opposition’s narrative. He stated the campaign will specifically target the alleged anti-Dalit stances and actions of previous Congress and SP governments. Kannaujia emphasised that the campaign will commence after the party’s organisational elections, scheduled for later this month. “The party will highlight anti-Dalit slogans and steps taken by previous governments under opposition parties,” he said.
The Morcha’s district units have been mobilised to engage directly with Dalit-dominated villages. Their task is to emphasise the welfare measures introduced by the BJP government over the last decade. Kannaujia asserted that Congress and SP have historically been detrimental to Dalit interests, framing this as a historical reality needing public dissemination. He also highlighted a meeting with Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, where he proposed further measures to benefit marginalised communities. “Congress and SP have been the biggest enemies of Dalits. This is a historical truth that needs to be told to the people,” Kannaujia said.
Kannaujia accused the Congress of actively working against Ambedkar’s ideals, allegedly attempting to demean him and distort the Constitution he drafted. He also criticized the SP for reversing the quota provision for SC promotions in government jobs, a policy originally introduced during the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) regime.
“It is the Congress that has worked against the ideas of Ambedkar. They did everything to insult and demean him. They even tried to alter the essence of the Constitution drafted by Ambedkar,” he alleged.
