Kharge: Should I rake up my Dalit origins every time I'm not allowed to speak in RS?

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said on Wednesday that caste should not be dragged into every issue and wondered if he should rake up his Dalit origins every time he is not allowed to speak in Rajya Sabha, amid a row over the mimicry of Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar.

Dhankhar, who is also Rajya Sabha Chairperson, has flayed the mimicry, calling it as an insult to his background as a farmer and a Jat (his caste). The ruling BJP has echoed a similar view.

Speaking to reporters, Kharge said the Chairperson’s job is to give protection to other members but he himself is making such a statement.

“I am not allowed to speak in Rajya Sabha often. Should I say it is because I am a Dalit?” he added.

They should not incite people outside in the name of caste by talking about it inside, he said. (PTI)