BJP politicising rape cases, PM didn't mention party men's involvement: Congress

Blaming the BJP for politicisation of Unnao and Kathau rape cases, the Congress on Saturday attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for speaking very little on the incidents and not mention the involvement of his own party's people.

It also attacked the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) for always trying to erode the legacy of B.R. Ambedkar.

"Prime Minister's speech yesterday (Friday) reeked of politicisation of everything, and blaming the Congress of everything as if the world came into existence in 2014..as if they had started from the scratch.

"PM yesterday broke his silence after protests across the country and that too in just two lines. But he didn't mention that his own people are involved in the cases. The BJP MLA or ministers. The resignation of ministers is just a joke. They gave it to their own party," said senior Congress leader Kumari Selja.

Noting BJP leaders had asked if such incidents have not taken place during Congress' rule, mentioning the Nirbhaya case, she said: "But they (BJP) forget that everyone stood against it that time. There was no politics in it..."

On the RSS and the BJP's view of Ambedkar, she said: "We all know about RSS ideologues' views on Baba Saheb and the Dalits. The Congress had given him the responsibility to draft the India's Constitution."

"The RSS and the BJP even talked about changing the Constitution, questioned reservation. Is this how they show respect to Baba Saheb?

"Simply paying lip service, which the Prime Minister is used to, does not take away from the fact that they are always trying to erode the legacy of Baba Saheb Ambedkar," she added.

Congress also hit out at the government for reducing the sub-plan for SC/ST, and nearly halving the budget for SC schemes.

"Just speeches and words can't fulfill the promises they made to SC and STs. According to NCRB, each day 6 Dalit women get raped...

"Babasaheb's statue have been put in a cage in (Uttar Pradesh's) Badaun. Actually, it is very symbolic as they have put his ideology in a cage," said Selja.

--IANS

sid/vd