If alive, Ambedkar would have been with BJP, says UP official
Chairman of the Uttar Pradesh Schedule Caste Finance and Development Corporation, Lalji Prasad Nirmal’s remarks came on Friday while he was mentioning and lauding the schemes for Dalits by the Centre and UP government, both of which are ruled by BJP.
A UP government official has said that Dalit icon and architect of India’s Constitution B R Ambedkar would have been with the BJP had he been alive today.
Chairman of the Uttar Pradesh Schedule Caste Finance and Development Corporation, Lalji Prasad Nirmal’s remarks came on Friday while he was mentioning and lauding the schemes for Dalits by the Centre and UP government, both of which are ruled by BJP.
Nirmal, who is also president of Ambedkar Mahasabha, had earlier called Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath ‘Dalito Ke Ram’.
“In the past, no government has done so much for Dalits. The Centre has provided ₹138 crore in the ongoing financial year for various schemes dedicated to Dalits,” Nirmal told newsmen while listing schemes rolled out by the Centre and UP government for Dalits.
Lauding the pro-Dalit policies of the governments, Nirmal said: “Babsaheb would have been with the BJP today if he were alive.”
Nirmal pointed out that the Uttar Pradesh Scheduled Caste Finance and Development Corporation had provided financial assistance of ₹14.47 crore to 12,280 Dalit families.
“The commission has selected 72,202 Dalit families across the state for financial assistance,” said Nirmal.
On the issue of rehabilitation of manual scavengers, Nirmal said the state government had rehabilitated 10,847 manual scavengers. All of them had been given ₹40,000 each, he added.
The Adityanath government has provided ₹10 lakh each to the kin of those who had died while cleaning sewers (manholes).
“The state government has identified 71 such cases after 1993 in which 49 people had died. All of them have been provided financial assistance of ₹10 lakh each,” said Nirmal.
Nirmal also said that the Centre had issued an advertisement for 9,000 petrol pumps for Scheduled Caste people. Earlier, the Centre had also issued an advertisement for 3,000 LPG tankers for SC category people.