NDA govt will support quota till there is inequality: Uma

NDA government will support quota till there is "inequality" in the country, Union Minister Uma Bharti today said and asserted Constitution architect B R Ambedkar and not Rohith Vemula should be "role model" for Dalits.
"I felt very sad when Rohith Vemula committed suicide. His suicide was a matter of shame for the entire country. But I heard one statement that Rohith Vemula is our role model.
"Only Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar can be role model of Dalits and no one else. Because he chose to fight, he assessed challenges and fought them," Bharti said.
She made these remarks while addressing a seminar 'Multi-purpose Development of Water Resources and Present Challenges', organised here to mark the 125th birth anniversary of Ambedkar.

Bharti said there is a need to give "special opportunities" to those from "weakest" section till there is inequality and asserted the NDA government is for reservation until "inequalities are there".
"It is our resolution, be it Modiji or our ministers, MPs, we are saying that this is a society filled with inequality. And until child of the President and that belonging to a poor family don't go to one school, we will need to give reservation," she stressed.

During her speech, Bharti also referred to Ambedkar as founder of Central Waterways, Irrigation and Navigation Commission (CWINC), considered as the forerunner of present day Central Water Commission (CWC).

She also announced her Ministry will observe Ambedkar's birth anniversary as 'Water Day' from next year, after Indian Council of Social Science Research chairman Sukhdeo Thorat made a suggestion in this regard.
Bharti also declared that 100 villages dominated by schedule caste community populace will be selected under Government's 'Jal Gram' scheme for water conservation.
Under Jal Gram, part of government's Jal Kranti Abhiyan, two water starved villages will be selected from every district in the country for all-round development of water resources.
The event was also attended by Union Ministers Ramvilas Paswan, Thawarchand Gehlot, Sanwar Lal Jat, Ram Shankar Katheria and Hansraj Ahir. Union Water Resources Secretary Shashi Shekhar and BJP MP Udit Raj also attended the event.