NEW DELHI: Delhi Social Welfare Minister Rajendra Pal Gautam on Wednesday accused the central government of spreading hatred against the Dalits and backward classes and arresting those who supported them.
In a statement released by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Gautam dubbed as "unannounced emergency" Tuesday's arrest of five rights activists who he said defend the Dalits in courts.
"Bhima-Koregaon has been a symbol of Dalit salvation for many years and celebrated in peace and harmony every year. But it is really unfortunate that in the last four years, the Modi government has spread hatred against the community due to which this year's annual celebrations were disrupted by violence," Gautam said.
Members of the Dalit community had been sitting on hunger strike since August 8 to protest against government policies and demanding implementation of a "special component plan" for a 22 per cent share in budget but the government had failed to act, the AAP leader claimed.
"The actions of the Modi government clearly shows its anti-Dalit thinking and how it is trying to break their morale," he said.