In his reply to the issue of violence against Dalits in the name of cow vigilantism, Home Minister Rajnath Singh told the Lok Sabha on Monday that “some anti-social elements are indulging in nefarious activities in the name of cow protection.”
Even as he condemned the flogging of the dalit men in Una, he vehemently denied that there was a spike in crimes against dalits under the current ruling party.
Armed with statistics in hand, Singh said in Parliament:
Where is the proof? Where is the data? This is an example of a ‘vikrit maansikta’ (distorted mindset)
According to numbers cited by Singh, over a two-year period between 2013 and 2015, there was no discernible change in trend. There were 39,346 cases in 2013 – under UPA – and 40,300 and 38,500 in the following two years.
He praised the work of Sangh parivar affiliates Sewa Bharti and Vanvasi Kalyan ashram for working for the cause of dalits and adivasis. Saying that Ambedkar and Keshav Baliram Hedgewar were contemporaries, he said while the dalit icon fought for the socially deprived sections, the RSS founder worked for national renaissance.
Singh conceded that there was the need to take strict action against gau rakshaks who perpetrate violence, and promised that the state would do what is needed.
Noting that government is totally committed to the development of dalits, he said that even dalits do not dislike being a part of India despite the atrocities that they have been recently facing.
Nobody could dare to call them anti-national and they have never demanded a separate state for themselves.
(With inputs from Times of India)
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)