Yogi Adityanath meets PM Modi amid discontent among Dalit MPs from Uttar Pradesh

NEW DELHI: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi for nearly half an hour. The meeting comes amid a massive outcry by Dalit outfits and Opposition over the Supreme Court's order on the SC/ST Act.

The BJP's Lok Sabha MPs Ashok Kumar Dohrey from Etawah and Yashwant Singh from Nagina are the latest to join other Dalit colleagues, who have publicly expressed their unhappiness

In a letter to PM Modi, Dohrey said that the Dalits and tribals across the country, especially in Uttar Pradesh, are being framed by police in false cases after the protests, leading to a sense of growing insecurity among them. 

He also met the Prime Minister over the matter and got a positive response, Dohrey told PTI. PM Modi was sensitive to my concerns, he added.

Singh was, however, unsparing in his criticism in his letter to the Prime Minister.

Nothing has been done for Dalits in the last four years, he reportedly said, adding that representatives from the community like him were finding it increasingly difficult to address the concerns of their constituents.

Several judicial decisions had hit their rights, he said, demanding that the government should bring laws for the community's welfare, including quota in private sector.

Prior to these, Robertsganj Lok Sabha MP Chhotelal had written to PM Modi and accused UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath of scolding him when he went to take up an issue with him.

While these three Dalit parliamentarians of the BJP have approached Modi with their concerns, Bahraich MP Savitri Bai Phoole has virtually turned a rebel. She held a 'Save Constitution' rally in Lucknow last month in which BJP flags and symbols were missing.

She has repeatedly spoken about attacks on the Constitution and speculation is rife she may join the Bahujan Samaj Party, which she had earlier left to join the BJP.

Political watchers believe that the disquiet among the BJPs Dalit MPs may have serious repercussion for the saffron party as they are all from UP, which has the largest population of the community and sends 80 MPs, more than any other state, to the Lok Sabha.

On Friday, a massive row had sparked within Ambedkar Mahasabha after the organisation's president had announced the 'Dalit Mitra' award for CM Adityanath.  

Ambedkar Mahasabha chief Lalji Prasad 'Nirmal' had declared that the award will be conferred to the Chief Minister on Babasaheb Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar Jayanti, April 14.

This did not go down well with members of the association, who claim that the award should have gone to a deserving member of the community and not Adityanath who has been accused of 'pursuing anti-Dalit policies'.

(With inputs from PTI)