Heated exchanges between opposition and BJP benches were witnessed in Rajya Sabha on Thursday after a Congress member alleged discrimination against dalits in Gujarat saying they were not being allowed to enter temples in some villages there.
Heated exchanges between opposition and BJP benches were witnessed in Rajya Sabha on Thursday after a Congress member alleged discrimination against dalits in Gujarat saying they were not being allowed to enter temples in some villages there.
Raising the issue during Zero Hour, P L Punia (Cong) said dalits in many Gujarat villages were being discriminated against and not allowed to enter temples. He also alleged that the dalits were also not being allowed to take water from the village well.
"Dalits are migrating from villages as those associating with them are being punished. We heard of Gujarat's progress and equality. Today the real face of the government has come out...Government is not concerned about welfare of dalits and poor. It is clear that this government is anti-dalit," he said, urging the government to maintain equality and harmony.
Strongly objecting to the allegations, Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu said the member should not make "sweeping statements without any basis" to target a state which is a "model state" of the country.
"It is a political speech. The people have given their mandate. Try to respect that. Don't make political speeches.
If there are specific complaints, government will address them. Let him not make sweeping political comments. I totally condemn such comments," he said. As heated exchanges ensued between members from treasury benches and opposition on the issue, Deputy Chairman P J Kurien asked Punia to bring to the House if he had "any specific instance. But no sweeping allegations." This saw some Congress members display some papers to highlight the issue, much to the dismay of Kurien, who said "What is this nonsense...Don't display anything".
Earlier K C Tyagi (JD-U) raised the plight of sugarcane farmers saying their problems should be addressed by the government while granting relief to sugar mills. He said though he had no objections to provision of relief to sugar mills, the pending amount of Rs 20,000 crore due to sugarcane growers should also be addressed.
Tyagi lauded the role of leaders like Devi Lal and Parkash Singh Badal a few years ago to fix MSP for farm products, saying now there was no such criterion. Pointing to the relief provided to Indian Sugar Mills Association, he alleged, "it reflects the friendship between Ministry of Consumer Affairs and ISMA" but while sugar mills are being bailed out, nothing is being done for farmers.
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