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Jaiswal?s move upsets senior Dalit leaders
THE APPOINTMENT of Nizamuddin as working president of the District Congress Committee (DCC) to mitigate the resentment among members of the minority community, has upset the senior Dalit leaders of the party.
THE APPOINTMENT of Nizamuddin as working president of the District Congress Committee (DCC) to mitigate the resentment among members of the minority community, has upset the senior Dalit leaders of the party.
Senior Dalit leaders of the party have accused party leaders of neglecting them and only concentrating to appease members of the minority community.
The removal of Abdul Mannan from the coveted post of DCC led to widespread resentment among members of the Muslim community, which constitute a strong vote base of the party in the city. Mannan held the coveted post for 10 years.
Giving a severe jolt to his rival faction led by party MLA Ajay Kapoor, the Union Minister of State for Home Sriprakash Jaiswal succeeded in getting his loyalist Mahesh Dixit appointed on the post of district president of the party.
However, the removal of Abdul Mannan upset a large section of the Muslim community. The absence of Muslims from the welcome ceremony of Mannan gave clear indication to Jaiswal about the simmering resentment within the community. Finally, to assuage the growing resentment among Muslims, Jaiswal succeeded in appointing Nizamuddin as working president of the District Congress. But Jaiswal’s move has annoyed senior Dalit leaders of the party, who are feeling betrayed.
Senior Dalit leaders of the party are raising voice of dissent and demanding appointment of a Dalit leader on the post of working president.
Senior Dalit leader stated that in order to tone down the resentment among Muslims, Dalits were being neglected by the party leaders. He said that the two factions of the party led by Jaiswal and Kapoor, were striving hard for their control over the DCC and appeasing Muslims and in the process have turned a blind eye towards Dalits.
“But the party must not forget the fact that Dalits comprise a sizable section of voters in the city and have been traditional Congress loyalist,” he added.
“When a Muslim can be appointed as a working president of the party then why cannot a Dalit too be appointed on the post,” stated Mewa Lal Katheria, a senior Dalit leader of the party.
One must not forget the fact that in slum colonies and other parts of the city, Dalits have a sizeable presence and their vote could prove to be decisive, Katheria added. It is time for the senior party leaders to act before the resentment among Dalits snowballs.
