Hassan: A protest was held by Dalits and the People’s Movement Alliance in the district on Wednesday, blocking National Highway 75, in condemnation of Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s recent statements on Dr. B.R. Ambedkar.
The protesters demanded Shah’s removal from the Union Cabinet if the government was serious about the Dalit vote.
The road was blocked after an open meeting was held near Buvanahalli on the Bengaluru-Mangalore highway.
The issue pertains to illegal levy of toll on the road and the inconvenience it is causing to poor villagers who commute everyday for their business.
The road was blocked for more than half an hour, disrupting vehicular traffic. Later, the police stopped KSRTC buses, trucks and cars for some time, took the protesters into custody, but released them after strict warning.
A large number of vehicles were stopped, causing a traffic jam in the area.
A verbal altercation broke out when the police were arresting the protesting leaders.
The protesters held portraits of Dr. Ambedkar in hand and expressed their anger against Amit Shah.
CPIM leader Dharmesh said that Amit Shah, who recently spoke in the Rajya Sabha, had said that if the name of God had been chanted instead of that of Dr. Ambedkar, heaven would have been attained.
“Ambedkar is God for the original inhabitants of the country. There are no other gods except him,” Dharmesh said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who should have sacked Amit Shah immediately after the faux pas, also treated the matter lightly, they alleged.
“The basic ideology of the BJP and the RSS is anti-Ambedkar. Their regular reiterations that they would change the Constitution of India through amendments is proof of their anti-Ambedkar stance,” the leaders claimed.
“All political leaders supported by the RSS, including Prime Minister Modi, praise Dr Ambedkar. But their praise is not wholehearted. Their intention is to divide the backward classes. We should understand their gameplan,” Dharmesh claimed.
“Treating the Ambedkar issue lightly will cost the BJP heavily in the next elections. They seem to be wholly unaware of what is going to hit them,” the protesters warned.
Former HUDA president Krishnakumar, Dalit leaders H.K. Sandesh, H.R. Naveenkumar, M.G. Prithvi, Sameer, Somashekar and Vijayakumar were present.
