Soaps to dalits: Cong demands Yogi apology, case against him

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Press Trust of India New Delhi
Last Updated : May 28 2017 | 7:13 PM IST
The Congress today demanded that Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath tender an apology and a case be registered against him after reports emerged the state administration distributed soap and shampoo to Musahar dalit families ahead of a public meeting with him.
"A low level of untouchability was directly practised," Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi said at a press briefing, referring to media reports about the incident.
According to media reports, a day before Adityanath's visit to Mainpur Deenapatti village in Kushinagar district on Thursday, Musahar Dalit families received two soaps and a sachet of shampoo, and instructions to "clean themselves" before attending the public meeting.
"They (BJP leaders) have insulted the entire community of that village and the very concept of dalits. The incident has depicted the true face of the BJP and particularly the RSS. I have clearly said that the chief minister doesn't appear to be a yogi (renouncer) but a bhogi (materialistic)."
The Congress spokesperson also asked which part of the Constitution was the chief minister upholding by reflecting such a mindset.
"The chief minister must immediately apologise to this community. Appropriate cases must be registered under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act against him and his official army, which has practised this brazen and shocking form of untouchability," said Singhvi.

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First Published: May 28 2017 | 7:13 PM IST

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