Former Janata Dal (U) president Sharad Yadav on Friday called upon Dalits and backward classes to unite to capture power at the Centre and states.
At a rally to mark the birth anniversary of former member of Parliament and backward class leader Sukhlal Kushwah, Yadav said it was time for Dalits and backward classes to come together as they constitute a substantial vote bank in this country.
“Jaat ko jamaat main badlo (all castes should form one big group).You should know the mystery of why BR Ambedkar called Mahatma Jyotirao Govindrao Phule his guru. Ambedkar was a Dalit and Mahatma Phule from backward community. Ambedkar knew this that Dalits and backward classes have to come together and remain united. So if you want to come into power, you have to be united,” he said.
Yadav who was recently disqualified from Rajya Sabha urged dalits and backward classes to keep themselves away from sectarian violence and religious polarization of any sort.
“Lathi (baton) and ghanta (temple bell) BJP ke pass rehne do. (Let baton and temple bell be with BJP)”, said Yadav and added the Dalits and backward should stay away from religious disputes and communal riots.
“If there is a communal riot, you should try to stop it and help your Muslim neighbours whenever they are in trouble,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}“If there is a communal riot, you should try to stop it and help your Muslim neighbours whenever they are in trouble,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}Emphasising the importance of vote, Yadav said that Ambedkar’s legacy and Constitution of the country had given them the best weapon to fight. “Vote is the way to most things - to power, to good roads, electricity, better positions and overall empowerment. We have been losing for last 70 years as we are scattered and we don’t vote in a consolidated way,” he said.
Yadav also stressed on the importance of education for Dalits and backward classes to move up the social ladder. “Education will remove the negativity from your minds and help you march ahead in life. These days you succeed not by lathi (baton), but by buddhi (intellect),” he said.
BR Ambedkar’s grandson Prakash Ambedkar also spoke on similar lines at the rally, stressing that in the last 70 years, the dalits and backward classes have not been able to assert themselves in an effective way. He called for Dalits and backward classes to form a voting bloc to empower themselves politically.
“We are strong in numbers, time has come that we have to be courageous”, he said. “Our fight is with BJP..” Talking about violent clashes that broke out during the Bhima Koregaon battle anniversary in Pune on Monday, Ambedkar said government had failed to arrest those behind the violence.
He also warned pro-Hindutva elements that pandering to religion and mixing it with politics could give rise to the likes of Hafiz Saeed among Hindus.
“The politics of religion can become uncontrollable if it is not checked and it can give rise to many Hafiz Saeeds among the Hindus,” he said, referring to the Pakistani preacher and co- founder of terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba.