In the lead-up to the Delhi Assembly elections, Congress leader and former MP Udit Raj on Sunday urged the Dalit community not to vote for the BJP or AAP, accusing both parties of causing significant harm to the community.
Addressing a press conference at the DPCC office, Udit Raj alleged that as the Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had made several promises to the Dalit community but failed to fulfill them over the past decade.
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“Kejriwal did not fill thousands of vacant posts in the Delhi Government, which would have benefited the Dalit community. He also failed to regularize ad hoc and temporary employees, including sanitation workers, teachers, DTC employees, and others. Additionally, he had promised to appoint a Dalit as the Deputy Chief Minister of Punjab but did not honor this commitment,” Raj said.
The Congress leader also questioned Kejriwal about the lack of honorarium for Buddhist monks and priests at the Guru Ravi Das Mandir and Valmiki Mandir, who belong to the Dalit community.
He further alleged that AAP has no Dalit or backward-class representatives among its 11 Rajya Sabha MPs.
“Kejriwal misled Dalits with the Ambedkar Scholarship Scheme announced in 2020. However, due to a lack of funds, Dalit students were not sent abroad. This was merely an old scheme repackaged, with only Rs 25 lakh distributed in scholarships, while Rs 5 crore was spent on its publicity,” he added.
Raj criticized Kejriwal for remaining silent on the issue of a caste census, claiming he ignored Rahul Gandhi’s demand for a public statement on the matter.
He also reiterated that Kejriwal had promised to appoint a Dalit Deputy Chief Minister in Punjab but failed to deliver.
The Congress leader accused Kejriwal of hurting Dalit sentiments by using the broom as his party’s symbol to garner their votes, without taking meaningful steps to improve their welfare, education, or employment opportunities.
“Kejriwal engages in vote-bank politics, seeking the support of Dalits, backward classes, the poor, and marginalized communities without addressing their real concerns,” Raj concluded.
