Narayanaswamy: Dalit MP who was denied entry into a village gets a berth in the Union cabinet

Chitradurga: A first-time MP who was denied entry into a village in his constituency nearly two years ago as he was a Dalit, on Wednesday found a berth in the Union cabinet.

A Lok Sabha member from Chitradurga (SC) constituency, Narayanaswamy belongs to the Madiga sect of Dalit community, and has served as MLA from Anekal segment for four times- 1998, 1999, 2004 and 2008.

Narayanaswamy had also served as the Chief Whip of the BJP Legislative Party in the Karnataka assembly in 1998 -1999, and was minister in the BJP government from 2010 to 2013.

As an MP, he is currently serving as a Member of the Committee on Welfare of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, Standing Committee on Water Resources, and Consultative Committee, Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment.

Narayanaswamy is considered close to BJP National General Secretary (Organisation) B L Santosh, and his induction is seen in some political quarters as part of the party’s strategy to further consolidate its “Dalit Left vote base”.

Born on 16 May, 1957 in Anekal, he is a BA graduate from Government Arts College, Bengaluru. In a shocking incident of untouchability, he was prevented from entering Pemmanahalli village, a Gollarahatti (settlement of Golla/Yadavs), in Tumakuru district, which falls under his Lok Sabha constituency, in September 17, 2019 when he had gone there for some development-related work.