Union government ignoring Dalits: Bangaru Laxman

Ahmednagar, Aug 19 (UNI) Former BJP president Bangaru Laxman today alleged that the congress-led UPA government at the centre was playing vote bank politics by giving priority to the cause of Muslims and other minority communities.

''The UPA government used to believe in principles of secularism and equal treatment to all the religions, but now it has lost its track.'', He told mediapersons here.

''Dalit leaders--Ramvilas Paswan, Ramdas Athavale, Prakash Ambedkar, Mayawati, Meera Kumar and Sushil Kumar Shinde are playing politics in the name of Dalits without giving attention to the injustice against them. These leaders never take up such issues with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh'', he further alleged.

Dalit leaders of the UPA government are more or less concerned about securing their ministerial berth and this is the greatest downfall of the Dalit movement, he added.

Mr Laxman said the cancellation of the land transferred to the Amarnath Shrine Board, is a dishonour of the 100 crore Hindu's religious sentiment. ''It is misfortune of the country that 100 crore Hindus are not entitled to the 100 acre land,'' he said.

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