Pics: Anush Pandith
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (ANK)
Mangaluru, May 5: Congress Rajya Sabha MP Selja Kumari slammed BJP and said that the government at the centre had failed to address the problems of Scheduled-Castes and Scheduled-Tribes in the country as their attitude towards the weaker section is totally different.
Addressing media here on Saturday, May 5, Selja said, “Prevention of Atrocities (POA) Act was formed under our rule and an ordinance was passed. The Modi government, since coming to power, has promulgated 13 ordinances. However, one ordinance, the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Prevention of Atrocities (Amendment) Ordinance, 2014, which it inherited from the previous UPA-II government, has allowed it to lapse,”
“The central government’s commitment for the weaker section is nil and crime against SCs and STs have gone up. They only prefer to do lip service and shed crocodile tears. BJP leaders themselves have questioned about this,” she added.
"Our government has taken an affirmative action for the weaker section and Congress has given them a helping hand. We have brought in SC/ST sub plan, but the current government has abolished it. Budget for SC/ST has come down up to 5.5% for various schemes. During our government, the budget for pre-metric scholarship for SC/ST category was Rs 882 crore, but under the present government has brought it down to Rs 125 crore which is a decrease of 86%. This is the perfect example for their commitment towards SCs and STs. In the credit guarantee scheme, the budget allotted for the year 2016-17 was Rs 10 crore, but they merely spent a lac. The 2018-19 budget for the same is Rs 10 lac. The government has credited only Rs 20,000 each to 5 Dalit entrepreneurs,” she informed.
“Crime against Dalits and women are rising. BJP speaks proudly about their dominance in the country, but have they done about atrocities against Dalits and safety of women in the country? They have no commitment towards Dalits. They are good at raising slogans ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padao’, but we have to save our daughters from these people. They know to talk big but have nothing to show as result. We do not know to lie and they do not know to speak truth,” she said.
AICC national media panellist Jaiveer Shergill and others were present.