Have quit BJP as it is anti-Dalit, says Bahraich MP Savitri Bai Phule after joining Congress

Congress president Rahul Gandhi inducted her into the party fold in the presence of party general secretary (east UP) Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and general secretary (west UP) Jyotiraditya Scindia.

Bahraich MP Savitri Bai Phule, who quit the BJP in December last year, joined the Congress in New Delhi on Saturday.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi inducted her into the party fold in the presence of party general secretary (east UP) Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and general secretary (west UP) Jyotiraditya Scindia.

Former Samajwadi Party MP from Fatehpur Rakesh Sachan also joined the party. BJP MLA Avtar Singh Bhadana had joined the Congress in the presence of Priyanka and Jyotiraditya in Lucknow on February 14.

When contacted, Phule said she left the BJP because of its anti-Dalit policies. Phule accused the BJP of working out a plan to abolish reservation at the behest of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.

“I will travel across the country to tell the people about the BJP’s anti-Dalit policies,” said Phule. Asked why she did not opt for the SP-BSP alliance, Phule said she was looking for various options after deciding to leave the BJP.

She said she heard Samajwadi Party patron Mulayam Singh Yadav in parliament when he spoke about Modi returning to power in 2019 Lok Sabha polls. “As I want to ensure the BJP’s defeat, I decided to join the Congress. I am sure only Congress can defeat the BJP in 2019 polls,” she said.

A prominent Dalit leader, Phule had been raising her voice against the saffron camp for more than a year now and was positioning herself as a leader in her own right. She had also billed the BJP as “anti-Dalit”.

With the party pushed to the sidelines in the state, the entry of these two leaders is being seen as a renewed effort of the Congress to establish itself as a serious contender in the state politics.

Presence of Priyanka Gandhi and Jyotiraditya Scindia is being seen as an indication that the duo played a role in bringing them from rival camp to the party.

(With agency inputs)