NEW DELHI: The BJP by proposing a dalit for the presidential election hopes to refurbish its pro-dalit image that has taken a battering in the last two years but this is not going to dispel the deep-seated suspicion and anger towards the Hindutva upper caste agenda among the dalit communities, said CPI (M) Thursday.
Attacking BJP, CPI (M) in its mouthpiece said the nomination of Ram Nath Kovind as the Presidential candidate of the BJP alliance confirms the expectation that the RSS would not let this opportunity slip by to place one of its men in the Rashtrapati Bhavan for the first time.
“The choice of Kovind is sought to be projected as the concern of the BJP for a dalit to occupy the highest office in the land. But behind this effort to regain its credibility among the dalits lies the fact that the person chosen is a follower of the RSS,” it said.
The Left said that by proposing a dalit for the Presidentship, the BJP hopes to refurbish its pro-dalit image, something which had taken a battering in the last two years.
“The attacks on dalits by the Sangh combine have been incessant. The death of Rohit Vemula, the attack on dalit youth in Una, the atrocities against dalits in Saharanpur and the targeting of the dalit community for their involvement in the cattle trade and leather industry is still continuing,” said the editorial printed in People’s Democracy.
It further said that the tokenism involved in putting up a dalit candidate is not going to dispel the deep-seated suspicion and anger towards the Hindutva upper caste agenda among the dalit communities.
“The issue here is not the personal characteristics, or, public life of Ram Nath Kovind. If there is anything distinguishing the BJP’s Presidential candidate, it is his consistency in adhering to the RSS outlook and values. He shares the RSS view that “Islam and Christianity are alien to India” – a remark he made in the context of his opposition to include Christians, or, Muslims in the dalit category,” said the editorial.