‘Join army for foreign liquor and good food’
Ramdas Athawale, the minister of state for social justice and empowerment, advised Dalits on Sunday to join the army as they would get to consume foreign liquor once they became a part of the defence force.
“The army provides good food and liquor. Instead of consuming country liquor while being unemployed, the Dalit youths should join army where they can get rum,” Athawale said in Pune.
The minister stressed on the need of bringing in a reservation for Dalits in the army and said that he would work towards getting a quota implemented for the members of the community in the defence forces. “Dalits are fighters. They can contribute for the nation if they join defence forces,” he said.
Athawale added that the perceived danger associated with working in the forces was blown out of proportion.
“More number of people die in road accidents and heart attack every day (than on the front line). To say people only die in army is wrong,” he said.
PUNE:
Athawale is no stranger to controversy. Earlier in August, he had advised transgenders not to wear sarees. “Why should they wear saree when they are not woman?” he said.
The Republican Party of India (RPI) leader on Sunday accepted that all the promises made by PM Narendra Modi in the run-up to the last general elections were not fulfilled but claimed that the central government was committed in implementing them.
He also assured that the prices of fuel will soon dip as the finance minister was “personally looking” into the issue .
The 57-year-old minister also backed the proposed bullet train project, stating that there was “no reason” to oppose the high speed train.