Dalit panel chief exudes confidence of BJP winning assembly polls in all five states

National Commission for Scheduled Castes' Chairman Ram Shankar Katheria Sunday exuded confidence of the BJP winning the upcoming assembly elections comfortably in all the five states owing the Centre's people-centric works.

The performance of the state governments and successful implementation of the people-oriented schemes by the Narendra Modi-led Union government are the basic reasons of my confidence," Katheria told reporters here at Shankaracharya Adhokshjanand Ashram Goverdhan.

He said he does not consider the Opposition unity a threat to the Lok Sabha elections next year as the same is devoid of any principle.

Modi would again become the prime minister after the Lok Sabha elections because the country has made tremendous progress under him, he claimed.

The people have faith in him owing to his honesty and his commitment to improve the plight of the poor, the farmers and other deprived sections of the society, he added.

Katheria asserted that the villagers across the country now have their own houses along with provisions of power and toilets, virtually as a gift by Prime Minister Modi to the rural as well as urban people.

With the introduction of Ayushman Bharat scheme, even the poor would not be deprived of the costly medical treatments now, he said, adding they are now entitled to treatment up to Rs 5 lakh.

On Rahul Gandhi terming demonetisation as carefully performed apradhik vittiya ghotala (financial fraud), Katheria said the Congress president is telling a lie.

On the functioning of the NCSC under him, Katheria said the Dalit panel now takes sue moto action and compensations are paid to victims' families within a month.

Citing a recent example of the timely compensation given to a labour killed during cleaning of a sewage in Mathura about three months ago, the NCSC chairman said the victim's family was promptly given a compensation of Rs 10 lakh, besides a house and a job to one of its members.

In cases of rapes or murders of any Dalit, the commission takes the feed back from district magistrates or superintendents of police within 24 hours and an NCSC team visits the victim's family within three days.

Katheria earlier met Shankaracharya Adhokshjanand Deo Tirth Maharaj and talked to him about the construction of a Ram temple in Ayodhya.

I came here to take blessings of Shankaracharya ji Maharaj and discussed with him about Ram temple in Ayodya, he said.