BJP leader says protest against SC/ST Act accusing party will help shedding anti-Dalit image

New Delhi, Sep 5: The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at the Centre and its leadership is rather looking at the agitation against Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act as opportunity to seize the moment as to get rid of the image of being anti Dalit. The BJP feels that it was being accused of being anti-Dalit which the BJP is not and every issue should not be looked the way Sensex works.

A senior BJP leader told OneIndia that at least with this row the BJP would not be accused of being anti-Dalits which it has never been. On being asked if the agitation in Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh might harm the BJP, the BJP leader said that every event must not be looked upon as Sensex works where things move up and down very sharply. Wait for some more time things will be normal.

Political analysts say that the BJP is not bothered for the moment as there are more ST and OBC in Madhya Pradesh and they have good hold over them. SO they might get through and upper caste are not in the decisive except a few constituencies. But the party leaders feel that it is the BJP that is the best possible option for any community across the country.

Sources in the BJP said that party was looking this opportunity as not only to reach out to Dalits but break the image that it has been facing for long. Unrest in the upper cast is gaining momentum especially in the areas bordering Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.

Senior BJP leaders feel that the protest launched by the upper caste will peter out very soon and Dalit community will be given the message that propaganda against the BJP that was unleashed by different section was wrong. There have been lots of attack on Dalits in the past four-and-half-year regime of the BJP. So the people spreading rumor against the BJP for being the party of upper caste stand exposed.

The BJP want to turn the tide in its favour by spreading this different narrative, despite unrest in several parts of the country. The BJP seems to be seized of the matter. It feels it has control over it.