Demanding that the Dalit leaders of the BJP show their commitment to the Constitution and the ideology of Ambedkar, mainly after Union Minister Anant Kumar Hegde expressed the need to change the Constitution, Dalit leader Adiveppa Salgal has said Dalit leaders of the BJP should either force Mr. Hegde to tender an apology or quit the BJP.
Addressing presspersons here on Wednesday, he said that they would give 10 days to Ramesh Jigajinagi, a Dalit MP and Union Minister from Vijayapura, to act against Mr. Hegde if has any care for Ambedkar.
“We will give only 10 days, after which we will hold an agitation against Mr. Jigajinagi,” he said.
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Mr. Salgal said that Dalit Ministers such as Mr. Jigajinagi have become Ministers today because of the reservation given to Dalits by Ambedkar.
He said that these Dalit Ministers must show their priority; they want power or respect for Ambedkar. If the latter is more important to them, then they should force Mr. Hedge to tender an unconditional apology for his remarks on the Constitution, he said.
Taking exception to the statement of Mr. Hegde, AHINDA leader S.M. Patil Ganihar took A jibe at the Minister stating that changing the Constitution was not as easy as changing “Janivar” (the thread that Brahmins and other upper castes wear).
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“People who believe in the Manu Smriti have been opposing the Constitutions because it proposes equality which is completely against Manu Smriti,” he said.
He said that ever since the Constitution has come into effect, people such as Mr. Hegde have been conspiring to change the fundamentals of the Constitution.
Mr. Ganihar said that it had taken over two years and over 2,000 corrections to prepare the Constitution as aspirations of people of different faiths had to be incorporated in it for giving justice of all sections of society.
“The Constitution cannot be changed as per the whims and fancies of all and sundry, especially the followers of Manuvada. Any such attempt would attract a severe backlash and stiff resistance from the people,” he said.
Stating that only 31 % voters have voted for the BJP in the last Lok Sabha election, he said that a majority of Indians were against the society-dividing agenda of the BJP on the lines of caste and religion.
On the controversial statement of BJP MP Shobha Karandlaje that Muslim youths in Vijayapura were selling drugs to Hindu youths, Mr. Ganihar said that such statements were aimed at creating communal tension in peace-loving Vijayapura district.
AHINDA leaders such as Nagaraj Lambu
and Akram Mashalkar were present on the occasion.