The Asian Age

Will quit if BJP can prove I am anti-dalit: Scindia

- AGE CORRESPOND­ENT

Congress leader Jyotiradit­ya Scindia on Tuesday attacked BJP MPs for calling him “antidalit” and offered to quit Lok Sabha if their allegation­s were proved.

He wrote to Speaker Sumitra Mahajan to move a privilege motion against BJP MPs Virender Kumar and Manohar Utwal for what he alleged were defamatory statements. The BJP MPs had, on Monday, alleged that a hospital building was “washed with gangajal” before Mr Scindia visited it to inaugurate a trauma centre, because a dalit BJP leader had visited it the previous day.

Congress chief whip Jyotiradit­ya Scindia on Tuesday came down heavily on the BJP MPs in Lok Sabha for accusing him of being anti-dalit. He challenged some BJP MPs to either prove their contention or quit.

The BJP MPs had alleged that, a hospital building was “washed with Gangajal or holy water from the Ganga river” before Mr Scindia visited it to inaugurate a new trauma centre, because a dalit BJP leader had visited it the previous day. The allegation was stoutly denied by Mr Scindia, he even sent a legal notice to BJP’s Madhya Pradesh chief Nandkumar Singh Chauhan over the allegation­s.

On Tuesday the Congress Chief Whip moved a privilege motion against the BJP MPs, Virender Kumar and

They are trying to destroy my reputation built over 15 years with hard work. I will resign from this House if they can prove. Jyotiradit­ya

Scindia,

Manohar Utwal, for what he has alleged are defamatory statements and has challenged them “to prove their claims.” The BJP MPs based their allegation­s on the statement of the Congress leader Amit Tawre who has been expelled by the Congress.

In a letter to the Lok Sabha speaker, Mr Scindia said, “I have nothing to do with the statement of the Congress worker nor did the purported washing of the site with Gangajal ever happen. The BJP’s rhetoric is a heinous attempt to malign my reputation and dignity in the House as well as with millions of people who watch Lok Sabha on television.”

He added, “They are trying to destroy my reputation built over 15 years with hard work for every community. I will resign from this house if they can prove that I have said or done anything. But if they cannot prove their allegation­s, then they must resign from Parliament.”

 ?? — PTI ?? Congress leader Jyotiradit­ya Scindia speaks in the Lok Sabha in New Delhi on Tuesday.
— PTI Congress leader Jyotiradit­ya Scindia speaks in the Lok Sabha in New Delhi on Tuesday.

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from India