LUCKNOW: Amid the charges of being anti-Dalit, the growing resentment among its backward and Dalit lawmakers has again came to the fore as BJP’s tribal MP from Robertsganj, in eastern UP, has written to PM Modi about alleged shabby treatment he received at CM Yogi Adityanath’s office recently.
He has also alleged discrimination by the local administration. “I met the CM twice with my problems but failed to get any relief. Rather I was scolded and thrown out,” writes Chhote Lal Kharwar, 45, in his letter seeking PM Modi’s intervention.
Not only the CM but the BJP MP has also complained against party’s state unit office bearers. He has mentioned the names of BJP state president Mahendra Nath Pandey whom he claims to have met thrice and organisational secretary Sunil Bansal twice, but both allegedly did not pay heed to his grievances and sided with rivals. In fact, Chhote Lal has charged the administration of his constituency with discrimination and that his complaints were not being heard by his own party.
The MP, who belongs to scheduled tribe, has also petitioned the National Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes over the issue. Accusing the local BJP leaders of his constituency of working against him and his brother, a local politician, the MP has alleged that partymen colluded with rivals, especially the BSP, in getting his brother removed as block chief at a local body election recently.
The BJP MP is also miffed over alleged encroachment of forest land by land mafia. He speaks about the importance being given to his political rivals in Chandauli district near his constituency. “It is very embarrassing for me as MP of an adjacent constituency,” he writes.
He has accused Chandauli DM and SSP of not lodging his FIR when he was attacked by a local hooligan who tried to eliminate him and abused him using castiest remarks. He has also requested the PM to get the forest land freed from the clutches of land mafia to safeguard the honour of all the tribals like him of the area.
However, reacting to the letter which was written by the MP last month but has surfaced now, deputy CM Keshav Maurya attributed it to some miscommunication. “We will look into all the issues and redress all his grievances,” said Maurya adding that such misunderstandings often took place owing to official apathy at district level but the state government would look into the matter with sincerity.