CM Yogi slams SP, Congress for depriving Dalits of their basic rights

New Delhi, April 13: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday launched a scathing attack on the Congress and Samajwadi Party (SP), accusing them of being habitual exploiters of Dalits and other marginalised communities, during a key address at the 'Bharat Ratna Baba Saheb Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar Samman Abhiyan' workshop held in Lucknow.

"These parties which preach social justice are the same ones that, in practice, deprive Dalits of their basic rights," said CM Yogi.

"Whenever there's an illegal encroachment on Dalit huts or land, you'll find their people behind it. It is these very parties that occupy land meant for the poor. But today, under our government, strict action is being taken to protect the marginalised."

Referring to a disturbing incident in West Bengal's Murshidabad, the Chief Minister added, "Three Hindu individuals were brutally killed and their homes demolished, yet those raising slogans of equality and justice stay silent when the truth doesn't suit their narrative."

He highlighted how the opposition consistently disrespected icons of Indian history and unity. "They glorify Aurangzeb in Maharashtra and insult Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. They choose to honour Jinnah while we celebrate Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel with 'Run for Unity'," he said, alleging that the SP had once celebrated Jinnah on Patel's birth anniversary.

He further accused these parties of using the Constitution as a political tool.

"Before elections, they walk around with printed copies of the Constitution, pretending to protect it, yet these are the same people who conspired to defeat Babasaheb Ambedkar in 1952 and 1954," said Yogi, recalling how Ambedkar, who faced political sabotage, was denied a parliamentary seat.

"In 1952, they ensured Babasaheb lost by 78,000 votes. Again in 1954, Nehru himself campaigned against him. That's the legacy of these parties," he asserted.

As the 10-day state-wide awareness campaign progresses, the Chief Minister positioned it as a movement to "expose the DNA of those who historically insulted great leaders from Shivaji to Ambedkar, from Patel to Maharana Pratap."

Reader Comments

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Rahul K.

Strong words from CM Yogi! It's about time someone called out these double standards. The historical facts about Ambedkar's elections are eye-opening 👀

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Priya M.

While I appreciate the focus on Dalit rights, I wish the speech had more concrete examples of what the current government has actually done to improve their lives. Criticism is easy - action is harder.

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Sunil T.

The part about land encroachment is so true! In my village, political leaders would take land meant for SC/ST communities and no one dared to speak up. Glad things are changing now 🙏

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Anjali R.

Interesting how history keeps repeating itself. The parallels between past and present political strategies are uncanny. More people need to be aware of these historical facts!

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Vikram S.

The Murshidabad reference seems out of place in a speech about Dalit rights. While the incident is tragic, it dilutes the main message about caste-based discrimination. Stay on topic!

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Neha P.

The awareness campaign sounds promising! Education about our true history is so important. Can't wait to see what comes out of these 10 days 💪

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.