Vaghela condemns Dalit discrimination, urges societal harmony

NCP leader Shankersinh Vaghela Tuesday condemned recent incidents in Gujarat of Dalit wedding processions being stopped by some groups, saying such discrimination was a blot on Hinduism.

He urged people as well as Hindu seers to take up a campaign to establish harmony among all castes and communities.

"I condemn such acts of not allowing Dalits to take out wedding processions. This is blot on Hinduism. Law alone cannot deal with this. The entire society needs to come together to fight this evil and establish harmony," he said.

"I urge Hindu seers and saints to focus on this issue and spread awareness among the masses in order to end this discrimination of Dalits," Vaghela told reporters here.

He went on to warn that such discrimination would eventually force Dalits to leave Hinduism and convert to other religions.

"Dalits also serve in our armed forces and protect our nation. But, when they visit their villages, they become subjects of discrimination for being a Dalit. People of other castes need to spend one day as a Dalit to understand their pain," the former Gujarat chief minister said.

Vaghela, who joined the Nationalist Congress Party earlier this year, also slammed the BJP government in Gujarat over water scarcity, claiming that around 70 per cent of villages and towns are affected.

"Our workers have been visiting various parts of the state to take stock of the water scarcity situation. We have found out over 70 per cent villages and towns are not getting enough water," he claimed.

"It happened because of the BJP government's bad management. Almost all the dams are empty now. People and cattle are suffering because the government did nothing towards long term water management" alleged Vaghela.

He said a Gujarat NCP team would meet Gujarat Governor O P Kohli in the coming days to seek his intervention.