PM Modi in Hyderabad rally: Panel to be set up soon to empower Madigas

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday (November 11) said the Centre would soon form a committee that would adopt all possible ways for empowering Madigas (a SC community) with regard to their demand of categorisation of Scheduled Castes.

He was speaking at a rally organised in Hyderabad by the Madiga Reservation Porata Samithi (MRPS), a community organisation of Madigas, one of the biggest constituents of Scheduled Castes in Telugu states, which fights for the categorisation of SCs.

The BJP stood with you in every struggle since the last three decades, he said.

"We are committed to end this injustice at the earliest...It is our promise that we will soon constitute a committee that will adopt all possible ways for empowering you. You and we also know that a big legal process is going on in the Supreme Court. We consider your struggle to be just," he said.

"We will ensure justice. It is the top priority of the Government of India to see to it that you get justice in court also. With full strength, the Government of India will stand in favour of justice as your colleague," he said.

Modi also hit at the Congress party, saying twice it did not allow B R Ambedkar to win elections and also alleged that the grand old party had not put up Babasaheb's picture in Parliament.

He slammed the Congress party, alleging it was due to the grand old party that the architect of the Constitution BR Ambedkar was not accorded the Bharat Ratna for decades together and it was possible only after the BJP supported government was formed at the Centre.

"This Congress twice did not allow Babasaheb Ambedkar to win. For decades together, the Congress ensured that Babasaheb's portrait was not put up in the old Parliament, Central Hall…Babasaheb was not given the Bharat Ratna for decades together because of the Congress," he alleged.

Taking a dig at the BRS government in Telangana, he said during statehood agitation they promised to make a Dalit the Chief Minister. But, after the formation of the state Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao "encroached" on the CM's chair after crushing the aspirations of every Dalit.

"BRS is anti-Dalit and the Congress is no less than that," he said.

Modi said political parties and leaders made promises to Madigas (SC caste) and betrayed them in the past.

"I am apologising for their sins," Modi said. In the rally, Modi repeatedly requested a young woman after she was climbing a structure on which lights were fixed.

When she was trying to convey something to Modi, he said "...I will listen to you. please come down and sit. It may short-circuit. this is not correct." After she climbed down, he thanked her.

PM Modi patted the shoulder of MRPS founder Krishna Madiga, who became emotional and hugged him.

(With agency inputs)