No question of scrapping Dalit reservation: Modi

Vowing to protect the rights of Dalits, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said there was no question of scrapping reservation for them and lashed out at the Opposition for spreading "lies" in this regard.
Virtually kicking off his party's poll campaign for the upcoming Assembly election in Tamil Nadu, Modi told a well attended rally that the Opposition was feeling jittery following the NDA government's efforts to highlight the achievements of Dalit icon B R Ambedkar.
"Dalits should progress, till the time Dr Ambedkar's name is there, reservation for Dalits would be there," he asserted.
Modi said steps like dedicating the first two days of the Winter Session of Parliament to commemorating the 125th birth anniversary of Ambedkar and acquiring the latter's house in London has rattled the Opposition as it thought the Dalit community was its vote-bank.

He accused the Opposition of unnecessarily blaming the government for all untoward incidents against Dalits.
Referring to steps taken by his government to push growth, he said international bodies like the World Bank and IMF had projected India as among the fastest growing economies.

"Across the world, be it organisations like the World Bank or Credit agencies, if there is one country which they see as a bright spot of growth, it is India," he said.
"Imagine how the situation was just two years ago," he said, adding the government then was mired in scams and scandals.
In the past one-and-a-half-years, however, every section of the people has faith and expectation from the BJP-led NDA government.

Lashing out at Congress and other Opposition parties he said: "To some it pains and gives concern that a tea vendor won (the election) and that too with full majority," he said.
He criticised the Congress for disrupting the proceedings in the Rajya Sabha in the last session and termed the party "anti-labour and anti-poor".
He began his speech at the CODISSIA (Coimbatore District Small Industries Association) grounds here with "Vanakkam, Indru Covaikku Vanthathil Magizhchi," (greetings, I am happy to be here in Coimbatore today).
Expressing his happiness at the sight of "sea of humanity" , he thanked the people for their love.

Earlier, the Prime Minister inaugurated the building of
Employees State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) Medical College and Hospital here built at a cost of Rs 580 crore and handed over the new facility to the Tamil Nadu government.
Modi said the hospital was an example of his government's mantra of "cooperative federalism". "It reinforces my government's commitment to cooperative federalism, I hope the government of Tamil Nadu will act quickly to start the college," he said.
He said out of the 100 MBBS seats, 26 will be reserved for children of those under the ESIC coverage.
Modi said his government was committed to the welfare of over 45 crore unorganised sector workers and referred to initiatives like the Pradhan Manthri Jeevan Jyoti Yojana and Atal Pension Yojana for their welfare.

As many as 44 labour laws will be simplified, amalgamated and brought forth as four Labour Codes, he said.
Union Ministers Bandaru Dattareya, Pon Radhakrishnan BJP National Secretary H Raja, state party president Tamilisai Soundararajan were among those who attended the function and the public meeting.