An Uttar Pradesh minister today defended her party leaders visiting Dalit homes and having dinner there, saying they do so braving "mosquito bites the whole night", even as the ruling party's outreach programme faces criticism from opposition -- and some BJP leaders as well.
Basic Education Minister Anupama Jaiswal said BJP leaders and ministers are visiting Dalit houses in villages to ensure the benefits of government schemes reached the poorest sections of society. She said the leaders inform them about government programmes and schemes so that they can get benefit from them.
"The ministers have to face mosquito bites the whole night, still they visit the villages," she said.
If a minister gets an opportunity to hold two chaupals (village meetings), he wants to take four more such meetings, she added.
"They face mosquito bites the whole night still they visit and feel happy about it," Jaiswal said.
The minister's comments came even as the ruling party's Dalit, OBC outreach programme faces criticism from opposition Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and some BJP leaders, including MP Udit Raj.
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Yesterday, Raj had said the Dalit outreach programme would not bring any electoral gains to the party, rather it would make Dalits feel "inferior".
"Having nightstay and food at houses of Dalits neither empowers the Dalit families nor benefits the politicians, Rahul Gandhi is a live example of it. Instead of pretending through night stay and eating food, it would be better if politicians come forward for food, clothes, houses, employment and treatment of needy dalits" Raj said in a tweet.
Earlier this week, a controversy erupted after UP government minister Suresh Rana reportedly brought with him his own food and water at a dinner hosted at a Dalit household in Aligarh.
Rana had rejected the allegation, saying, "The food was prepared in the village, by the villagers themselves."
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