Mayawati, Akhilesh indifferent to Dalits' plight: Minister

Union Minister for Social Justice Thawar Chand Gehlot on Monday lashed out at the ruling Samajwadi Party (SP) government and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and accused them of being "indifferent and insensitive" to the plight of Dalits and weaker sections in Uttar Pradesh.

Addressing a press conference at the state party headquarters here, the minister said BSP chief Mayawati treated Dalits merely as a captive vote bank. Citing the data of the national Crimes Record Bureau, he said of the 47,064 crimes against Dalits committed in 2014, 8,075 were from Uttar Pradesh alone.

"On an average day there are 20 cases of atrocities against Dalits reported in the state which accounts for almost 17 per cent of the total crimes against Dalits across India," he said.

These, he added, included 327 murders, 413 rapes and 27 cases of setting on fire. Calling the state of Dalits in the state as a shame, the senior BJP leader said the state government was not at all sensitive towards their plight.

In 2015, the minister added, the cases of Dalit atrocities in the state were 18.6 per cent while crimes against women were pegged at 10.9 per cent.

"The BJP is committed to the welfare of the weaker sections of the society and we will do our bit to do so," the minister added while urging people to vote for a BJP government in the state.

--IANS

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