Shoot me, not my Dalit brothers

PM advises critics not to play politics for short-term gains

Hyderabad: Retorting his critics and Opposition parties on the Dalit issue, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday silenced them by stating, “If you want to shoot, shoot me, but not my Dalit brothers.”

Addressing party workers here on Sunday, the Prime Minister said that a few people who claim to be pro-Dalit are desperate today and were politicising it. “If you have problem with me, attack me. If you want to shoot, shoot me, but not my Dalit brothers,” he said.

Modi said the people like these should be exposed. He advised all political parties to leave aside politics on the issue for the sake of the country. Referring to attacks on Dalits, the Prime Minister said that a few incidents like these make his head hang in shame. “Saving the downtrodden is our responsibility. The problem is social.

We should take extra care and save the country from such infections. We talk about ‘Vasudaikakutumbam’, but are attacking our own brothers. The world will not pardon us,” said Modi.

Modi said the BJP government had done many things for Dalits during the last two years, which no other government did in 50 years. He said that a discussion was taken up in Parliament for two days on the occasion of 125th Birth anniversary of Baba Saheb Ambedkar.

He said the government had proposed to bring up a memorial for Baba Saheb in Mumbai without looking at the cost. The government is proposing a big scheme in New Delhi also.

Modi said that he would want to see Dalits as job givers and not job seekers and hence announced to provide a loan facility to Dalit entrepreneurs from Rs 50,000 to Rs 10 lakh. “During the Dalit entrepreneurs’ meeting which was attended by 30,000 delegations, I said Dalits were my strength,” said Modi.

The Prime Minister stressed on the need for saffron, white, green and Blue revolutions (the three colours of Indian flag). “When I call saffron revolution, some people become alarmed. But for me, saffron revolution means energy.

I want to see the country full of energy, providing 24-hour power supply,” said Modi. He said there should be white revolution increasing the income of milk producers and cotton growers. He stressed on second green revolution by having agriculture through drip, sprinkler irrigation and blue revolution making the livelihoods of fishermen community better.

The Prime Minister called upon the people of Telangana to take up ‘Tiranga Yatra’ on two wheelers from August 15 to September 17. He said that entire country got Independence on August 15, but Telangana got Independence through the son of Gujarat Sardar Patel after 13 months.

Complementing the state unit president Laxman for offering him a shawl, Modi asked party workers to switch on their mobile flash lights in support of the weaver community on the occasion of National Handloom Day. The crowd responded in full numbers.

Stating that during the previous governments, newspapers everyday used to have headlines of corruption, the Prime Minister said that there was no allegation of corruption during the last two years.

The corridors of power had middlemen, but now they are not seen now. He said that 1.25 crore people had given up their LPG connections upon his call to give up subsidy so that over 3 crore poor families could be given gas connections.