Congress president Rahul Gandhi today targeted the BJP-RSS for their "anti-Dalit" mindset and alleged that as per the "fascist ideology" of these outfits, the Dalits should continue to remain on the bottom rung of society.
With less than a week to go for the Karnataka Assembly polls, the Congress chief also put out a video, highlighting the anti-Dalit statements of BJP and RSS leaders.
He also questioned the silence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi as regards the rising incidents of Dalit atrocities in the country.
"Central to the RSS/BJP fascist ideology, is that Dalits and Adivasis must continue to exist at the bottom rung of society. In this disturbing video, the dangers of this mindset and how it's openly propagated by senior RSS/BJP leaders is revealed, Gandhi wrote on Twitter, using the hashtag -- "AnswerMaadiModi".
The over-two-minute-long video cites incidents of alleged atrocities, including the flogging of a few Dalit men in Gujarat's Una in 2016 and the recent SC/ST markings on the chest of Dalit candidates during a recruitment exam in Madhya Pradesh.
"Mr Modi preaches Sabka Saath, but under his watch, a Dalit suffers an atrocity every 12 minutes and every day, six Dalit women are raped.
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"Dalits are suffering countless atrocities at the hands of Mr Modi's brand of developmentMr Modi is not defending the SC/ST Atrocities Act," the video says.
It asks why Dalits are constantly persecuted in Modi's "New India".
"His silence reflects the mindset of the RSS and BJP.
"Does India not deserve a vocal prime minister who defends the rights of all her citizens? Speak Up Mr Modi," the video says.
At a poll rally in Karnataka today, Modi, while referring to corruption charges against a state minister, said, "The Congress is a party that neither has dil (heart) nor is it pro-Dalit. It is a deal party."