Ashok Gehlot accuses BJP of being anti-Dalit, anti-reservation party

Terming the BJP an anti-Dalit and anti-reservation party, AICC general secretary and former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot today said Narendra Modi is on his way out as there is huge "resentment" among the people against his party.

He also challenged the RSS to come out openly with the BJP to fight elections on the ground of ideology rather than just calling itself an organisation for the protection of cultural values.

"PM Narendra Modi and Rajasthan CM Vasundhara Raje have been exposed that they came to power by fooling the public. There is resentment among people against the BJP. Now, Acche din aa rahe hain Modi ji jaa rahe hain (good days are coming and PM Modi is on his way out), Gehlot told a press conference at his residence here.

Lashing out at the BJP and its ideological fountainhead, the RSS, Gehlot said they are anti-Dalit and also against reservation.

The two outfits never used to give credit to great personalities of the Congress in nation-building, but have now started following Mahatma Gandhi and remember Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, he said. The day is not far when they will call Jawaharlal Nehru their leader, Gehlot said.

Over the BJP's day-long fast today against the Parliament logjam, Gehlot said, Observing fast was espoused by Mahatma Gandhi and now they are doing it. They could not remain firm on their policies and programmes. They are taking Congress leaders into their fold like, for example in Arunachal Pradesh.

"It is the BJP's Congressikaran," the AICC general secretary said. A day will come when they will start calling (the first prime minister) Jawaharlal Nehru their leader. Targeting Chief Minister Raje, Gehlot said she has lost the moral authority to remain in power as there is no rule of law in the state.

"Corruption is rampant from top to bottom, bureaucracy is not under control and corrupt officials are being patronised under her rule," he alleged.

He alleged the houses of Dalit leaders were recently torched in Karaulis Hindaun in the presence of police and district administration officials which is "very alarming and shows there is no rule of law in the state".

A mob, allegedly of upper caste people, set ablaze the houses of a sitting BJP MLA, Rajkumari Jatav, and a former Congress MLA Bharosilal Jatav (also a former minister) both from the Dalit community in Hindaun during a protest on Tuesday last week, a day after an all-India bandh by various Dalit groups triggered violence in parts of the country.

The former chief minister said 11 people died in protests during the April 2 Bharat bandh across the country, but the bandh on April 10 was peaceful. This shows security arrangements on April 2 were not as effective as that on April 10, he said.

Gehlot also held state Home Minister Gulab Chand Kataria for "rising" number of criminal incidents in the state.