Was scolded, thrown out by Yogi Adityanath: UP Dalit MP complains to Modi
New Delhi: A Dalit parliamentarian from the BJP-led Uttar Pradesh government has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi complaining against Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, alleging he was "scolded and thrown out" twice and has been facing discrimination.
Chhote Lal Kharwar, 45, who represents Uttar Pradesh's Robertsganj constituency, in the letter stated that he is facing discrimination by the administration in his constituency and his complaints are not being heard by his own party.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reportedly assured him that action will be taken, NDTV reported.
In the letter obtained by NDTV, Chhote Lal Kharwar said he met the state party chief Mahendra Nath Pandey thrice but he did not get any help. He has also named another leader, Sunil Bansal.
Chhote Lal Kharwar also mentioned that he received death threats a number of times but police did not file his complaint, the reason he finally wrote to the National Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
"You see, I exhausted all my options internally within the party, that is why I went to the National Commission for Scheduled Castes. You please check at the local level and see if you can find any instances of wrongdoing against me. If not, then why is this happening?" Chhote Lal Kharwar told NDTV.
In his letter, Chhote Lal Kharwar had raised instances of rampant corruption in the district administration and forest department in the Chandauli district near his constituency for nearly three years. After Yogi Adityanath came to power in 2017, he said, he had hoped that the situation would be remedied but nothing was done. Rather, his land was shown as encroached forest land by the administration.
He has also written that local BJP leaders have been working against him and his brother, who is a local politician, and are colluding with rival parties.
Chhote Lal Kharwar's complaint has emerged days after BJP faced massive Dalit protests, in which 11 people were killed. Dalit groups were protesting against a Supreme Court order that they feared weakened a law that protects them from atrocities.
