Dalit organizations should come together to defeat BJP: Jignesh Mevani
Bengaluru: Dalit leader and Gujarat MLA Jignesh Mevani said that the main agenda of dalits, tribals and women should be to defeat Modi and BJP in the forthcoming Lok Sabha election, for which all dalit organizations should come together.
Speaking at a meeting of dalit activists of South India at the Central College Senate Hall here on Thursday, he said that “Our eyes are blindfolded. We need to remove that and come together to defeat the communal and fascist forces. I have been telling this repeatedly. I will tell the same thing till the communal are defeated”, he said.
“Every day, dalits, oppressed classes, progressive people were subjected to exploitation and harassment. What was the use of keeping the ideologies of Ambedkar, Marx and Lohia. We have been fighting against the communal forces and other evils with separate flags and are being killed by the communal forces. Gauri Lankesh, Kalburgi, Dabholkar and others were killed. Umar Khalid suffered gun attack. I have been facing threats. We have accepted that fascism is the biggest threat in the society. Even then, we are not coming together under one banner to fight against the fascism. Why? Dalit leaders are being arrested. The people who have been fighting for the dalits and tribals are branded as urban naxals. But the dalit organizations have been observing silence. People clap when I speak and click selfies. When it comes to protest and fight, everybody will keep silent”, he said.
Bhim Army leader Chandrashekhar Azad was arrested in Uttar Pradesh a year ago, but none of the dalit organizations protested it. When the dalits were attacked in particular states, the dalit organizations stage protests there and keep quiet. But when such incidents happened in other states, the dalit organization would not it seriously due to which dalit movement has seen a set-back. In Karnataka, all dalit organizations should forget their differences and come together to build a Nava Bharat, he appealed.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is not working. So, only dalit movement could highlight his mistakes. At this moment, in order to mislead the dalit movement, false cases are being booked against the dalit leaders and making false propaganda that the dalits have been supporting the naxals who are planning to kill him, he said.
Which naxals have sent lakhs of dalits after Unao incident? Which Maoists have sent lakhs of dalits who gathered after Rohith Vemula’s death? Who sent the dalits against SC/ST Atrocity Act? All have come to the movement voluntarily. But the central government has been attacking those who raise voice against it. So, the main agenda of the dalits should be defeating RSS and BJP, he appealed.
Former Advocate General Prof Ravivarma Kumar said that if there were no dalit judges in the judiciary, the dalits would not have justice. So, dalits should be appointed for the vacant positions in the judiciary. “If we want reservation in judiciary, then Constitution should be amended. If others are in that position, they would not allow the amendment. So, first dalit judges should be appointed and bring in amendment later”, he said.
Resolutions
- To strengthen the Atrocity Act
- Withdraw false cases booked against dalit activists
- Releasing Chandrashekar Azad of Jai Bhim Army of Uttar Pradesh
- Implementing reservation in promotion for dalit employees
- Reservation for dalits in private sector
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“Full prepared..going to win,” Congress MP KC Venugopal ahead of Kerala polls
EC not functioning as a neutral institution: Venugopal
Congress MP K. C. Venugopal on Monday raised concerns over the election schedule announced by the Election Commission of India for the upcoming Kerala Assembly election, questioning the timing of the poll dates and alleging that the schedule leaves limited time for campaigning.
Speaking to news agency ANI in Delhi after the poll panel announced elections in five states and Union Territories, Venugopal said that the Congress and the United Democratic Front (UDF) are fully prepared for the elections and confident of victory. At the same time, he questioned the pattern of dates announced by the Election Commission.
“We are fully prepared, we are going to win the elections... You can see how the Election Commission has set the dates. The first phase of elections is on the 9th, nominations are due until the 23rd, scrutiny is on the 24th, nominations can be withdrawn until the 26th, and after that, there are 11 days for campaigning,” he said.
“As for Kerala, there is Easter and Good Friday in the first week...The Election Commission could have announced the dates earlier... The counting date is on May 4th, so what was the point of holding elections in Kerala so early? What is their intention behind holding elections on the same day in Kerala, Puducherry, and Assam?... We are confident that we will win, but the people of the country are seeing the biased attitude of the Election Commission...,” he added.
He further stated that his party was ready for elections irrespective of the dates announced by the poll body.
“We are going to win the election. India's strategy has been set up. And we are all ready for winning this election. But one thing as far as declaring election, even though they are giving only for five days, we are going to win the election. We have no problem,” he said.
Detailing the poll schedule while questioning the time available for campaigning, he stated, “but you can see the pattern of date which the election commission announced. Yesterday they declared election, and today they notified us. The first phase of election on April 9th, filing of nomination will be over on the 23rd of this month, 24th scrutiny, 26th withdrawal of nomination. After 26, four plus seven, 11 days campaign.”
“As far as Kerala is concerned, April first week is a holy week. The holiday week means, Good Friday is there. Nobody will do anything on Good Friday. Easter is the big festival. These festivals are natural, you have to see that. Among the 11 days, working days, two, three days will go for holidays. Then hardly seven, eight days for campaigning in this election for candidates,” the Congress MP questioned.
The Congress leader said the Election Commission could have announced the dates earlier if there was a need for an early election schedule.
Questioning the urgency behind placing Kerala in the first phase of polling, he added that the counting date is much later.
“Which is the date of counting? Fourth May. Then what is the urgency of putting Kerala in the first phase without giving sufficient time for candidates? And putting Kerala, Puducherry, Assam together, what is the intention behind that?” Venugopal questioned.
He also alleged that the Election Commission was not functioning as a neutral institution.
“The Election commission is completely losing that capacity as a neutral player. You can see 14 of our prime minister's programs over and on the 15th they announce the election, 16th notification comes,” he said.
Venugopal further stated that such tactics would not affect the Congress’ prospects in the election.
“They think that this type of techniques and tactics, because of these techniques and tactics, UDF is going to lose, and Congress is going to lose. This is their complete dream only. This is not going to happen. We are very much confident at any cost, whether they are not giving any time also, we are going to win the election,” he said.
“But the people of India are watching this. The tricks of the election commission. To restrict the campaign, people of India are watching. This I want to bring into the notice of the nation. That's all,” Venugopal said.
The Election Commission of India on Sunday announced the schedule for the Kerala Assembly election. Polling in the state will be held in a single phase on April 9 while the counting of votes is scheduled to take place on May 4.
