'Anti-poor, anti-Dalit' mentality ingrained in BJP's DNA: Congress

Anti-poor and anti-Dalit mentality is part of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) DNA, alleged Congress on Monday in wake of the Dalit meal row surrounding B.S. Yeddyurappa.

Senior Congress leader Randeep Surjewala on Monday told the media here that anti-poor and anti-Dalit mentality is the part of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) DNA.

He levelled the allegation over the reports that the BJP's Karnataka unit President B.S. Yeddyurappa allegedly ate restaurant-made idlis at the house of a Dalit family in Tumakuru district of the state.

The action of Yeddyurappa shows that untouchability is deep-rooted in his mind, soul, and thoughts, said Surjewala.

Training guns at the BJP, the Congress leader further said that the examples of Rohith Vemulla's suicide, ripping of the skin of the Dalits in Gujarat, and gruesome murder of girl named Delta Meghwal in Rajasthan shows that the BJP-led Centre and state governments are anti-poor and anti-Dalit.

Meanwhile, a Dalit youth has filed a complaint with Mandya district police against Yeddyurappa, accusing him of practising untouchability.

However, the state BJP while defending its chief said the allegations are purely politically motivated.

"The Congress and the JD (U) are losing ground in Karnataka. To compensate for this, they are fabricating charges against Yeddyurappa. The allegations are totally false," BJP leader S Prakash told ANI here.

During his visit to Tumakuru district on Friday, the former Chief Minister who was accompanied by other party members visited the residence of a Dalit family where he allegedly ate 'idlis' from a nearby hotel and not the food prepared by the family, thus inviting trouble on grounds of promoting untouchability and caste discrimination.

Claiming his act would spark off negativity in the community, a young man from the family lodged a complaint with the police.

Yeddyurappa had received flak over a similar situation earlier in Tumakuru where he was photographed eating "tatte idli" at a Dalit's house at Gubbi.