Amid statewide protests against Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s Ambedkar remarks in the Parliament, the Karnataka BJP on Friday launched the ‘Bhima Sangama’ campaign, where each BJP MLA and MP invites at least 50 Dalit families to their homes to dine together.
Announcing the dine-together event at the ‘Samvidhana Sanmana Dina’ programme held at the party office, BJP national general secretary (organisation) B.L. Santhosh asked the elected representatives to conclude the campaign by January 25, as the BJP’s two-month campaign ‘Namma Samvidhana Namma Hemme’ (Our Constitution, Our Pride) that started on the Constitution Day (November 26) would conclude on the Republic Day.
During the campaign, the BJP leaders and cadres would educate the people on the Constitution, the several amendments made to the Constitution by both the Congress and the BJP and the purpose behind these amendments substantiating it with documents.
On January 25, the BJP plans to have a small gathering of 40-50 people in each polling booth to garland Dr Ambedkar’s portrait and to read out the Preamble of the Indian Constitution.
Interestingly, the saffron party is trying to change the Congress party’s narrative of “Constitution under threat in BJP rule” by launching a counter-campaign “Samvidhan Gaurav Abhiyan” across districts with significant SC population from January 11 to 26.
The ruling Congress in Karnataka will launch the ‘Jai Bapu, Jai Bhim, Jai Samvidhan’ rally in Belagavi on January 21, when a Gandhi statue will be unveiled at Suvarna Soudha. The event had been postponed due to the demise of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
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“Our leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi amongst others have decided to hold the event on Jan 21. The booklet on 1924 Congress (Belagavi) convention and other books will be released on the occasion,” said KPCC chief DK Shivakumar.
With the taluk and zilla panchayat elections just round the corner in Karnataka, both the national parties are trying to woo the SC/ST voters. The SC/ST population, being 27%, is significant to the political landscape of the state.
Even as the protests against Amit Shah’s remarks continue in the state, the BJP mocked the Congress saying it was “anti-Dalit”. “Congress was never a friend of the Scheduled Castes. Dr. Ambedkar himself warned that Congress only wanted power, not progress for the marginalised. Today, the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government has diverted Rs 30,000 crores meant for the Dalit community. The funds meant for ST community has been siphoned off from Valmiki corporation and financial assistance for SC/ST students has been shamelessly cancelled,” posted the state BJP.
