The controversial >“dog analogy” made by Union Minister V.K. Singh in reply to a question on the deaths of Dalit children in Haryana came back to embarrass the government in Parliament, with the Rajya Sabha witnessing repeated adjournments on the issue.
While BSP chief Mayawati led the charge by raising objections to the statement, Leader of the Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad of the Congress also demanded that the Minister be sacked for his statement.
“I would urge the Prime Minister that one cannot take the lead by passing a resolution, he should take some action,” Mr. Azad said, recalling the House’s resolution days back after a discussion on Dr. BR Ambedkar and the Constitution. “…That is why opposition parties have been demanding that a Minister like V K Singh, (who) instead of condemning the killing of Dalit children, is making a comparison with dogs…. This is very bad for the entire country as well as the House. Such a Minister, I feel, should not be a member of the Union Cabinet for even a minute and he should neither be a Member of Parliament. I request the government to not just remove V K Singh from the Cabinet but also from Parliament.”
Earlier, Ms. Mayawati had dubbed the government’s attitude on General Singh sad and unfortunate, but Deputy Chairman P.J. Kurien disallowed her to speak and asked her to give a notice to make a statement. BSP members then rushed into the well of the House raising anti-government slogans.
Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi sought to cool tempers: “We are against anything that hurts the oppressed and Dalits and condemn anything like this. But V K Singh has not said anything like this. His words are being twisted. He has clarified several times that he has not tried to hurt the feelings of Dalits or any other section of society. That is why we feel that this is being done only for political gains,” he said.
