UP has become no. 1 in atrocities against Dalits under BJP govt: Akhilesh Yadav

Lucknow: Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Monday claimed that under the BJP government, Uttar Pradesh has become the number one state in the country in terms of atrocities against Dalits. In a post on X, the former chief minister alleged that Dalit leaders in the BJP are never given real authority and it is held by a select few. "UP has become number one in terms of atrocities on Dalits under the BJP government," said Yadav, who also shared a video clip of a news report which claimed that Dalit atrocities in the state were on the rise. The question is why most of the crimes against Dalits, especially Dalit women, take place in BJP-ruled states like Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Odisha and Maharashtra, he said. "The BJP is fundamentally a party of authoritarians and the mindset of its members is deeply feudal in which there is only humiliation and oppression for the poor, marginalised, Dalits, backward classes, minorities, women and tribals," Yadav said.

BJP leaders continue to operate with a pre-independence mentality and are inherently opposed to the Constitution, he charged. "In both party organisation and government, only a select few hold real power. Others are relegated to menial tasks like carrying banners and flags," he said. Yadav claimed that Dalits and those from other backward castes may be given symbolic positions in the BJP but they are never entrusted with actual authority. "Elections are fought in their name but they are not given the chief minister's chair or real leadership roles," the SP leader said. Yadav urged the Dalit community to reject the BJP. He said, "Dalits today must say — we do not want the BJP!"