Eye on Dalit votes, Kejriwal seeks Bharat Ratna for Kanshi Ram

Tribune News Service

Pirthipur Bunga (Ropar), March 15

As part of his attempt to reach out to Dalits, Aam Adami Party national convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal demanded Bharat Ratna for Bahujan Samaj Party founder Kanshi Ram here today.

Addressing a public meeting at Prithipur Bunga village, 25 km from here, the birthplace of the Dalit leader on his 82nd birth anniversary, Kejriwal described Kanshi Ram as a great visionary and only leader of Dalit samaj after BR Ambedkar.

Kejriwal said Kanshi Ram deserved Bharat Ratna for his great work done to uplift the downtrodden.

Earlier, Kejriwal on reaching the memorial of Kanshi Ram was accorded a warm welcome by Swaran Kaur, sister of Kanshi Ram, and other family members besides a large number of AAP supporters.

After paying tributes to Kanshi Ram, he along with senior party leaders, including Sanjay Singh, Sucha Singh Chhotepur and Bhagwant Mann, had a closed-door meeting with Swaran Kaur and her relative Lakhbir.

Kejriwal alleged, “If Akalis are committing atrocities on Dalits in Punjab, the BJP is doing it in other states.”

He said he was stunned to know about the recent incident of severing of limbs of a Dalit youth in Abohar. There were incidents of rape and burning of Dalit women, he alleged, adding that youth who were forming clubs in the name of Dr BR Ambedkar were being harassed.

Claiming that the AAP would form government after the Assembly elections in the state next year, the party convener said a Special Investigation Team would be formed to reopen cases of atrocities on Dalits.

He alleged that two Central ministers were involved in the suicide of Hyderabad Dalit student Rohith Vemula, but no action was taken against them.

Kejriwal said contrary to the visions of Dr Ambedkar and Kanshi Ram, the RSS was now advocating review of reservation for Dalits. However, the AAP would not let it happen, he added.

He said the condition of government schools in Punjab was pitiable. “We have doubled the budget on education from Rs 5,000 crore to Rs 10,000 crore and within two years, the government schools would give a tough competition to private schools in Delhi,” he claimed. The patients were getting free-of-cost treatment along with all medicines in government hospitals, added Kejriwal.

Cong leaders also pay tributes to Kanshi Ram

Newly elected Rajya Sabha MP and veteran Congress leader Shamsher Singh Dullo and former Anandpur Sahib MLA Rana KP Singh also paid tributes to Kanshi Ram. Criticising AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal, he said the AAP government failed to do any development in Delhi and people in Punjab would never accept him.

Rana KP Singh alleged that Kejriwal was an opportunist who eyeing Dalit votes visited the birthplace of Kanshi Ram. Congress leaders, including Ambika Soni, Capt Amarinder Singh and Shamsher Singh Dullo, visit the place quiet often to pay tributes to the great social reformer, he said. On the other hand Kejriwal was visiting for the first time to woo Dalits, he said.