By Abdul Bari Masoud
New Delhi: Putting the ruling BJP into a sticky situation, Dalit leader and Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Ramdas Athawale on Tuesday demanded “stern action” against his own colleague in the Union cabinet Anantkumar Hegde for making “derogatory remark against Dalits” at a programme in his home state Karnataka.
Athawale said he “condemned the Union Minister for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Anantkumar Hegde’s in strongest terms for his derogatory statements about Dalits and the Indian Constitution.”
Athawale, who heads a faction of Republican Party of India founded by Dr. Ambedkar, asked the BJP leadership to take immediate action against Hedge who is known for making controversial and inflammatory statements, especially against Islam and Muslims.
Recalling Hedge’s earlier statement on the Constitution, the Dalit leader said he also abused Dalit communities by calling them “stray barking dog”.
Speaking at a job fair and skill exhibition in Ballari on Saturday, Hegde said: “We will go ahead with our commitment and not bother about barking stray dogs.”
Hegde made these remarks after a group of Dalit activists blocked his vehicle and shouted slogans against him for his statement about changing the Constitution. His remarks sparked off anger among Dalit groups. After the programme, they staged a demonstration and, waving black scarves, shouted slogans against him accusing him of “anti-Dalit”.
Athawale warned that if the BJP leadership does not take any action against Hegde, it would cost the party dear.