Counter Oppn spin, BJP tells its leaders

NEW DELHI: Ruling Bharatiya Janata Party has asked its leaders to aggressively counter opposition’s ‘propaganda’ over Dalit atrocities, targeting the Narendra Modi

NEW DELHI: Ruling Bharatiya Janata Party has asked its leaders to aggressively counter opposition’s ‘propaganda’ over Dalit atrocities, targeting the Narendra Modi government.

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Following back to back “strong message” from the Prime Minister against cow vigilantes and crime against Dalits, the party asked its Dalit leaders to communicate with the Scheduled Caste people and counter the perception about the BJP being anti-Dalit.

This was communicated to Dalit MPs and leaders of the BJP by the party’s organisational secretary Ram Lal — RSS’s pointsman in the BJP — and general secretary Bhupendra Yadav during a meeting at Gujarat Bhawan on Tuesday evening.

“There were two broad messages. First, the party need not be on the defensive on the issue of atrocities against Dalits. Second, properly explain to SCs what PM’s message on cow vigilante was,” a leader present in the meeting said.

Ram Lal told BJP leaders that they should not be on the defensive with opposition’s charge, because the governments – both at the Centre and in the state – have promptly acted against any group or individual involved in crime against Dalits. He referred to the incident of flogging of Dalit men in Una, Gujarat, and said action was immediately taken against the culprits.

The senior BJP leader said that the Narendra Modi government has taken several steps with regard to the legacy of Dr BR Ambedkar and this should also be widely publicised among the SC population. Some leaders suggested that in cases of a situation involving Dalits, the party should put forward its SC leaders – instead of others – to counter the Opposition.