Dalit MP writes to Modi over corruption

Parliamentarian says he was scolded and thrown out of Uttar Pradesh chief minister’s office

ADalit Parliamentarian of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) yesterday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to complain against alleged misconduct by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister (CM) Yogi Adityanath. In his complaint, Chhote Lal Kharwar alleged he met Adityanath twice, but was scolded and thrown out of the CM’s office.

“I faced discrimination by the Yogi Adityanath administration in my constituency and my complaints were not being heard by my own party,” Kharwar, who represents Robertsganj constituency, told journalists.

The MP said he even approached the National Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.

“I exhausted all my options internally within the party, that is why I went to the National Commission for Scheduled Castes. Please check at the local level and see if you can find any instances of wrongdoing against me. If not, then why is this happening?” he told journalists.

His complaint also names state BJP chief Mahendra Nath Pandey and another local leader Sunil Bansal.

“I met the state party chief Mahendra Nath Pandey thrice but I did not get any help. I was turned away,” Kharwar, 45, wrote in the letter.

‘Death threats’

He said for more than four years, he reported several instances of corruption in the forest department in Chandauli district.

“After Yogi Adityanath came to power last year, I had hoped that the situation would be remedied but nothing was done. Rather, my land was shown as encroached forest land by the administration,” he said.

He also alleged that some state BJP leaders, colluding with rival parties, were working against him.

“I received death threats a number of times but police did not file complaints. That is why I wrote to National Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes,” the MP said.

Kharwar’s complaint comes days after massive Dalit protests that rocked northern India.

Expressing concern over alleged dilution of Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act by the Supreme Court (SC), Dalits came out in heavy numbers on Monday.