NEW DELHI: The BJP on Tuesday reported that the Dalit empowerment and corruption are not synonymous to each other after the BSP supremo Mayawati’s accusations that the Narendra Modi led NDA government at the Centre is anti-Dalit following the probe by the Enforcement Directorate on deposits of over Rs 100 crores in the party’s bank account.
“Is the huge amount of money deposited in bank account of BSP a money conversion exercise. Empowerment of Dalits and graft are not synonymous to each other. She is indulging in baseless allegations against the government,” said Union Minister for Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, who added that the BJP rejects the allegations of Mayawati with the contempt they deserve.
The minister wondered “if the ED does a routine exercise, why is she so rattled? Will your corruption be hidden in the name of Dalits”. Prasad stressed that the BSP chief’s claims that the ED probe into money deposits is a battle against Dalits is rather an insult to scheduled caste people.
“The interesting aspect is that the BSP chief did not deny the deposits in the BSP's account. It raises a bigger question. Is it a donation or money conversion exercise? The development of Dalits cannot be mortgaged to corruption,” quipped Prasad.
The minister who was fielded by the BJP to counter the allegations of the BSP chief also wondered at the claims that small currencies given to the party in donations were converted into bigger bills. “The money was not deposited in August, September and October but soon after demonetisation decision on November 8. It also raised a lot of suspicion. Now we are getting signals of why she has been opposing the note ban so strongly from the first day," added Prasad.