'Scolded by Adityanath', Dalit MP complains to Modi

Chhotelal, a Dalit MP of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has complained to Prime Minister Narendra Modi against Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, saying the latter scolded and shunted him out when he met him over a party-related problem.

In a letter to Modi written last month, Chhotelal, an MP from Robertsganj in Uttar Pradesh, complained about a local party functionary helping the rival Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) in a block-level election and undermining his efforts. He said attempts were being made to induct the BSP rival into the BJP.

Chhotelal said the apparent grudge was that a Dalit had been elected from a general seat.

Chhotelal said he met state BJP chief Mahendra Nath Pandey thrice "to save his dignity". He also met state BJP General Secretary Sunil Bansal and other party functionaries, but there was no help.

"So, I met the Chief Minister twice but did not get any help. I was scolded and shunted out," Chhotelal said.

The BJP MP also said he was threatened with a pistol by an opponent who used abusive, casteist language against him, but the police did not register a case.

"Tired over lack of response, I wrote to the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes," he said.

"I request you to protect the honour of Dalits and adivasis...," he said in his letter to Modi.

Chhotelal, a film artiste and Bhojpuri singer, also sought registration of a case against those who he claimed had attacked him.

The letter has surfaced at a time when the Congress and other opposition parties are seeking to target the BJP over the "dilution" of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.

--IANS

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