Congress has failed to work for welfare of SCs and STs: Chalavadi Narayanaswamy

Congress has misled those from Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and failed to work for their welfare, MLC and president of State BJP’s Scheduled Caste Morcha Chalavadi Narayanaswamy said here on Sunday.

Speaking at a convention of Scheduled Castes organised by the District BJP’s Scheduled Caste Morcha, Mr. Narayanaswamy said he was among those who were misguided by the Congress.

“For 40 long years I served in Congress and failed to become a legislator. Soon after joining the BJP, my organisational capability was noticed and I was made an MLC and also asked to head the State BJP’s SC Morcha. This is the way BJP is empowering SCs and STs,” he said.

On the contrary, the Congress continued to ill-treat activists belonging to SCs and STs. An ageing leader from Scheduled Caste, M. Mallikarjun Kharge, had been elected as the All India Congress Committee chief, he said.

“It is sad to see the party making senior leader Mr. Kharge a scapegoat,” he said and added that the party failed to consider Mr. Kharge earlier for the post of Karnataka Chief Minister. None of the SC and ST leaders, including former Deputy Chief Minister G. Parameshwara, have been treated properly by the Congress, he alleged.

Increase in SC/STs reservation

The State Government has been working for the welfare of SCs and STs. A long-pending demand has been met with the decision to increase reservation to 17% and 7% for SCs and STs, respectively. The government recently announced providing 75 units of free power to each Dalit family. The Union government, too, was working for the empowerment of SCs and STs, Mr. Narayanaswamy said.

A good number of SCs and STs favour the BJP. Like in the Parliament elections, SCs and STs should vote for BJP in the forthcoming Assembly elections as well, which will help the ruling party win more than 150 seats, he said.

Minister for Ports, Fisheries and Inland Water Transport S. Angara, who is also the MLA from Sullia constituency that is reserved for SCs, said a common man like him was recognised by the party and offered the position of a minister. “For me, party comes first,” he said and added that he would continue to work for the growth of the party.

District BJP president Sudharshan Moodbidri also spoke on the occasion. Mangaluru City MLAs D. Vedavyas Kamath and Y. Bharath Shetty, Moodbidri MLA Umanath A Kotian, Belthangady MLA Harish Poonja and Mangaluru Mayor Jayanand Anchan, attended the convention.