Eye on SC seats, PM Modi asks why Mamata Banerjee didn't apologize for TMC leader's anti-Dalit remarks

By Pragya Kaushika
Bardhaman (West Bengal) [India], April 12 : With more than 15 reserved Scheduled Caste (SC) seats up for grabs in the remaining four phases of the elections, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has turned up the heat against Trinamool Congress Supremo Mamata Banerjee for being anti-Dalit.
Prime minister Narendra Modi while addressing a public rally in Bardhaman on Monday accused chief minister Mamata Banerjee of insulting SCs and Dalits by staying tight-lipped on offensive remarks about the community by her party leaders.
"Baba Sahab Ambedkar's soul must be pained listening to Didi's bitter words. April 14 is the birth anniversary of Baba Ambedkar and at such a time this insult is hurled upon him by Didi. No one can think that such statements can come from the land of Bengal," said the Prime Minister.
Taking a dig at Banerjee for calling herself Royal Bengal Tiger, Prime Minister Modi asked whether any leader from TMC can give any statement against Dalits without her approval.
"Didi calls herself Royal Bengal Tiger. Without Didi's approval, no one can give such a comment against our SC brothers and sisters. Our Dalit brothers were called beggars but Didi did not apologize and did not condemn," the Prime Minister asked the crowd.
It has been two days since one of the TMC candidates Sujata Mondal allegedly made objectionable remarks against the SC community. BJP has decided to not let the issue die down.
Not just TMC that is painted as anti-Dalit in the state polls, other opposition parties are also on BJP's target for not condemning the statement made by the TMC leader.
The Prime Minister attacked Congress and the Left Front too for not accusing TMC of anti-Dalit remarks that went unpunished.
"Political parties that stand with TMC too have not condemned this statement (SC are beggars) by a TMC leader. You have insulted scheduled castes. Bengal will not forget it," said Prime Minister Modi.
He also said that 'Didi' is getting angry with the people of Bengal as she knows that she is being voted out and is thus abusing SCs and Dalits.
Also, according to senior leaders in the party, the leaked audiotape of Mamata Banerjee's political strategist Prashant Kishor where he could be heard saying "The state has 27 per cent Dalits, and all of it is standing with BJP." It has also given them a boost to take the anti-Dalit remark with full force to highlight the anti-Dalit mindset of TMC.
While BJP's senior leaders in the state are demanding answers as to why the Chief Minister has not condemned the remarks yet, the party's leadership in Delhi has made representations to Election Commission and to the National Commission for Scheduled Caste building the momentum against TMC.
Polling for the first four phases has been concluded in West Bengal. The fifth and sixth phases of the ongoing elections will take place on April 17 and April 22. The counting of votes will take place on May 2.