Amit Shah faces Dalits’ wrath over Hegde’s anti-Dalit remarks
Mysuru: BJP National President Amit Shah on Friday was 'heckled' by angry protesters who raised slogans against anti-Dalit remarks by Union Minister Ananth Kumar Hegde a few months ago.
Shah, who is on a two-day visit to the old Mysuru region in the poll-bound Karnataka, sought to pacify the Dalit leaders by distancing from Hegde's controversial remarks and for which the latter had apologized too.
"Neither the BJP nor me has anything to do with Hegde's statements. We don't endorse such remarks," Shah told the Dalit leaders at a meeting here where he sought their support for the party's victory in the May 12 assembly poll.
Hegde is also accused of comparing Dalits with "barking dogs" at Sirsi, his constituency in the state's Uttara Kannada district.
Supporting the protest by the Dalits, the Congress state unit urged Shah to answer their legitimate questions on Hegde "insulting" the community.
"Why haven't you taken any action against your party man for such derogatory comments? This clearly shows that BJP endorses his hate-mongering," said the party in a tweet.
Ruling party's spokesman Randeep Singh Surjewala also tweeted that the anti-Dalit mindset of the BJP was exposed again.
"Amit Shah acts as a political chameleon and follows worst type of opportunism by publicly disowning Union Minister Anant Hegde. Will he dare to sack him? Stop the doublespeak and act," tweeted Surjewala.
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Will Champai Soren become a game-changer for BJP in Jharkhand polls?
Ranchi: Champai Soren, a prominent figure in Jharkhand’s statehood movement, is contesting the 2024 assembly elections from Seraikela, a seat he has consistently held since 1991.
However, there is a surprising shift in his political journey this year. Having resigned from the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) earlier this year, Soren is now representing the BJP, a move that could significantly impact the electoral dynamics in the state.
Soren’s switiching is seen as a strategic benefit for the saffron party, which has been working to expand its appeal among Jharkhand’s tribal communities, a demographic traditionally aligned with the JMM. His departure from the JMM, led by Shibu Soren and his son Hemant Soren, was fueled by dissatisfaction with the state government’s policies, which he claimed had failed to address tribal concerns.
Also known as "Jharkhand’s Tiger" for his instrumental role in the statehood movement of the 1990s, Champai Soren has respect and influence among tribal voters. His decision to switch the party could be a turning point in the BJP’s efforts to gain a stronger hold in a state where tribal votes often decide the outcome.
