Don't shed crocodile tears but act: Cong to PM on dalits

New Delhi, Aug 8: A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi slammed those indulging in atrocities on dalits, Congress today created uproar in the Lok Sabha, saying he should "not shed crocodile tears" but "act".

Congress members demanded that the Prime Minister should speak on the issue in the House rather than "tweet". They staged a walkout later.

Soon after the Zero Hour, Congress members stormed the Well of the House when Speaker Sumitra Mahajan did not immediately allow party leader Mallikarjun Karge to raise the issue.

The Speaker said she would allow Kharge to speak but only after she finishes with the Zero Hour list as she has not got any notice. She repeatdely appealed to the Congress members to go back to their seats. "I will allow him to speak. I have never said no to it, but let me be done with the (Zero Hour) list.

There are many smaller parties here and it will be an injustice to the members," she said. Home Minister Rajnath Singh as also the Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Ananth Kumar were seen gestering to Kharge suggesting that a way could be found out through informal talks.

Congress members were unrelenting and demanded that the Prime Minister come to the House and speak on the issue. "He (the PM) should not shed crocodile tears.

He should not tweet, but act (against those perpetrating atrocities on dalits)," the Congress MPs chanted. Congress members were in no mood to relent and staged a walkout.

In an outreach to Dalits against the backdrop of the Una flogging incident, Modi, at an event in Telangana, yesterday decried the attempts to politicise the issue of atrocities on dalits and said he is ready to get "shot and attacked" in place of his Dalit "brothers".

PTI