Home Minister Shah using casteist terminology in electioneering: RLD chief

Rashtriya Lok Dal chief Jayant Chaudhary accused Union Home minister Amit Shah of consistently using "caste-based terminology" during his election campaign in western Uttar Pradesh.

Rashtriya Lok Dal chief Jayant Chaudhary on Monday accused Union Home minister Amit Shah of consistently using "caste-based terminology" during his election campaign in western Uttar Pradesh.

Chaudhary hurled the allegation days after Home Minister Shah in his meeting with a select group of Jat representatives had observed that Jats and BJP share a legacy of fighting against the Mughals.

After addressing a gathering at Maalav village near Khair told reporters that the Union Home Minister have been "constantly harping about Jats and bringing in caste issues. This is not appropriate as it lowers the level of the discourse and sidelines the main issues of farmers."

"We are fighting for the cause of farmers and nowhere do we bring the caste issue in our campaign," he said.

Seeking to strike an emotional rapport with the people of Khair while addressing the gathering at Maalav, he said, "I inherited the legacy of championing the cause of farmers from my grandfather (former Prime Minister Chaudhary Charan Singh) and I will never let you down."

He said his family had very strong roots in the Khair tehsil of Aligarh and this area, often referred to as "mini Chhaprauli", is his second home since the time of his grandfather.

He said the people of this area have very special bonds with his family and it was visible during his visit on the day itself.

Speaking to reporters shortly before leaving Aligarh, the RLD chief scoffed at the BJP for distorting history for scoring political points.

He said, "Some BJP leaders are trying to teach us history that BJP and the Jats have been together for the past 600 years."

Such statements, he alleged, show the BJP's flawed reading of history.

Replying to a question on the BJP's allegation of the party-hopping by his father Chaudhary Ajit Singh, Jayant Chaudhary said, "By questioning my family's political heritage, they cannot hide facts. I am in politics for serving a cause and nothing can come in my way of doing it.

Aligarh will go to the polls on February 10 in the first phase of the UP assembly elections.