Patna: Union minister and Dalit leader Ram Vilas Paswan slammed the Congress's politics on Dalits on Monday, the day Congress president Rahul Gandhi sat on dharna against the Narendra Modi government over atrocities against Dalits.

"The Congress has always used Dalits as a vote bank; the party has never done anything for SCs and STs.," the LJP chief said. "If Rahul Gandhi and the Congress are so concerned about Dalits, then why have they failed to file a review petition on the SupremeCourt order that allegedly diluted the SC/ST (prevention of atrocities)act?"

The Union minister of consumer affairs, food and public distribution pointed out that the RJD, SP, BSP and other parties talking about dilution of the SC/ST Act had also not bothered to file a review petition. "It is the NDA government which filed the review petition in the Supreme Court," Paswan pointed out.

The recent Supreme Court judgment "weakens" the provisions of the SC/SC Act and the youth anger over that is "natural", Paswan said, but added that Dalit youths were "provoked" by Opposition parties, leading to violence.

The LJP chief said no power can abolish the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, and that in the past Dalits had tolerated atrocities without protest, but today youths are more conscious and awareof their rights.

Paswan also asked Rahul Gandhi to clear his stand on reservation in the private sector, in the judiciary and in promotion in government jobs.

"The Congress is anti-Dalit and they have no respect for BR Ambedkar; despite Congress ruling the country for more than 60 years, the party had not even bothered to put a portrait of Ambedkar at Parliament," he said

The Narendra Modi government, he said, suffers from a perception that it is insensitive to Dalits despite a lot of work it has done for them.