Congress's fast against Dalit oppression a mockery: Raj BJP

Jaipur: Rajasthan BJP chief Ashok Parnami today dubbed the Congress leaders’ day-long fast against Dalit oppression as “mockery”.

Congress fast is just a mockery. They asked votes for eliminating poverty, but never worked for welfare of poor and Dalits. The party has always incited casteism, he said.

The BJP leader said the Congress did not hold any fast when Sikhs were massacred in New Delhi and 358 Dalits were killed and exploited in Karnataka.

Defending the protest, Congress state chief Sachin Pilot said, BJP government at the Centre and state encourage casteism, mutual hatred, violence and divisive thinking, which hampers brotherhood and harmony in the country .

He said it was the responsibility of Congress to fight against communal forces to maintain peace and harmony, and save the democratic values and human rights.

The fast was observed from 11 am to 5 pm at all divisional headquarters of the state, in which AICC secretary C P Joshi, Leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha Gulam Nabi Azad, Leader of Opposition in Rajasthan legislative assembly Rameshwar Dudi and former Uttrakhand chief minister Harish Rawat were present.

Congress chief Rahul Gandhi today led his party on a nationwide fast targeting the Modi government but a picture of party leaders having ‘chhole-bhature’ before the protest gave the BJP fodder to launch a counter-attack and dub the exercise a “farce” and “joke on Dalits”.

Gandhi, whose party had announced the fast over a variety of issues including alleged caste and communal violence, accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of being “anti-Dalit”.