Amidst huge support from Dalit and backward communities in the Capital, the Delhi Bharatiya Janata Party President Sh. Vijay Goel today conducted a “Padyatra” in several predominantly Dalit colonies thus launching the next leg of party’s “Outreach” campaign to bring more and more Dalits in the party fold. In the earlier phase, the party had held a “sahbjoj” with more than 16000 Dalits which received tremendous response.
Sh. Goel started his “Padyatra” in Dalit abd Balmiki bastis, the first of its kind by any political leader in the Capital in the recent past, from Ranjit Nagar and visited a number of Dalit bastis in the surrounding areas. He was accompanied a a huge number of local community leaders and a number of BJP leaders including Sh. Krishan Lal Dhilod, president of the Delhi BJP”s SC Morcha.
After the padyatra, in another unique initiative, Sh. Goel also decided to spend the night at Pandav Nagar along with a Dalit family. Addressing the community members as well as the BJP cadres who accompanied Sh. Goel during his padyatra and night stay, the Delhi BJP President said, “The Dalits, Balmikis and Scheduled Castes have been left in the lurch as the policies of the Congress government in Delhi have benefitted only vested interests who have pocketed most of the money meant for welfare of Dalits.”
Sh. Goel said, “ Rs 744 crore were diverted from Special Component Plan (SCP) meant for the welfare of Dalits, to projects directly or indirectly linked to Commonwealth Games by Delhi government and it ultimately reached pockets of corrupt Congress politicians and officials who indulged in unabated looting of public money as brought out by investigations later on.”
The Chief Minister Sheila Dikshi, herself, has been strongly indicted for her dubious role in Commonwealth Games scam. This shows how this corrupt and inefficient government has taken Dalits and backwards for a ride.
The neglect of Dalits and backwards in Delhi duing the last 15 years of Congress’ misrule is evident from the fact that In Delhi the literacy rate of SC and Dalit population is at least 10-15 per cent below other communities. Among SCs and Dalits literates, only 5.2 per cent are graduates and above. The SC/ST department of Delhi government has utilised only Rs 130 crore out of Rs 325 crore in the 2012-13 financial year.
Sh. Goel said, “The Dalits have been treated as vote bank by Congress but as the facts reveal that their welfare has never been priority of Congress. “It is time to change this government which has taken the poor and the Dalits for the ride,” added Sh. Goel.
Elaborating on BJP’s vision for the Dalits , Balmikis and other backward communities Sh. Goel said, “After coming to power, the BJP will run special time bound programmes to support and encourage higher education, skill building and employment oriented training for the youth among Dalits, Balmikis and other backwards.
“The BJP has already prepared a roadmap for the economic empowerment of Dalit and other backward communities. The party will focus on special financial assistance schemes to promote entrepreneurship amongst Dalit youths. The party will prepare “Special Component Plans” which would focus on the holistic growth of Dalits and other backward communities. And this will be done in a time bound manner,” informed Sh. Ghilod, President, Delhi BJP’s SC Morcha.
