VHP leader Singhal supports dalit reservation, attacks 'jihadi Islam' | Latest News India - Hindustan Times
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VHP leader Singhal supports dalit reservation, attacks 'jihadi Islam'

Hindustan Times | By, Lucknow
Jun 10, 2015 06:06 PM IST

Carrying forward the Rashtriya Swayam Sevak (RSS) plan to unite Hindus -- a move that is likely to benefit the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) -- RSS leader Ashok Singhal said on Wednesday that dalits were never untouchables in Hindu scriptures.

Carrying forward the Rashtriya Swayam Sevak (RSS) plan to unite Hindus -- a move that is likely to benefit the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) -- RSS leader Ashok Singhal said on Wednesday that dalits were never untouchables in Hindu scriptures.

Singhal came out in support of reservation for dalits and even seemed to suggest that the upper caste concern over advantage to scheduled castes due to reservation in jobs was misplaced. While batting for dalits, the VHP leader indulged in heavy minority bashing.

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“The jihadi invaders forced many Indians to convert to Islam. Those who got bullied became Muslims but there were many who refused to convert even though they were forced to do menial jobs. They became dalits,” Singhal claimed at a ‘Hindu victory day’ function in Lucknow on Wednesday.

VHP claimed that the Wednesday function was held to mark the victory of dalit king Suhel Dev over Muslim invaders’. Saying that country’s 18 crore scheduled caste population largely comprised of such Indians who refused to convert to Islam.

Singhal said, “I once got a letter from a young girl asking me why those getting 80% marks weren’t able to get admission even as those getting 45% marks were able to get it. I wrote back to her that we have an obligation to those who have fought for us and suffered for years.”

Hailing the contribution of SCs and OBCs like Ravidas, Rajbhars, Khatiks and Valmikis, he said, "It's a fact that untouchability exists. Still we hear reports that such a caste person was not allowed to draw water from a well (by upper castes). This is sheer madness and it must end."

The VHP leader said that jihadi organisations like IS are proving a threat to mankind. Seeking to draw a distinction between two types of Islam -- the peace loving one and the jihadi -- he said, “The peace loving Islam will survive, the jihadi would not. That’s a prophecy from a great saint.”

He said, “Muslims should consider handing over Ayodhya, Mathura and Kashi to the Hindus. The 2014 Lok Sabha election saw all those parties who were opposing Ram temple in Ayodhya and favoring the mosque being flattened. The killings of innocent Hindus in Godhra saw the emergence of an iron leader Narendra Modi," he said.

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