ON THE RECORD

Patna, Sept. 4: The JDU has shot at the BJP keeping a gun on their ally Jitan Ram Manjhi's shoulders.

The ruling party's leaders today released a booklet (See chart) highlighting what Manjhi, now national president of the Hindustani Awam Morcha Secular (HAMS), had said about the BJP and what BJP leaders had said about Manjhi when he was chief minister.

JDU leaders Lallan Singh, Sanjay Singh, Neeraj Kumar and Arun Manjhi jointly attacked the BJP today and accused it of being anti-Dalit. They slammed the BJP left, right and centre, accusing it of being power-hungry and of exploiting Dalits in Bihar. They also accused BJP leaders of changing colour as per circumstances and situations.

"The BJP is the most anti-Dalit party and they have never given any respect to Dalit leaders. It was chief minister Nitish Kumar who always thought about the uplift of Dalits and Mahadalits. It was Nitish ji who had offered his chair to mountain man late Dasrath Manjhi for a day to pay respect to him," said Lallan, who was accompanied by other leaders at the party office. He also cited recalled how Nitish started the tradition of hoisting the national flag at a Dalit tola every Independence Day.

Lallan said the BJP had suddenly started showering love on Dalits and Mahadalits to use them as a vote bank during the oncoming Assembly elections in the state.

Dalits and Mahadalits constitute about 17 per cent of Bihar's 10.38 crore population. They were once considered staunch supporters of Nitish and helped him remain in power for two consecutive terms. But ever since Manjhi shook hands with the BJP, the JDU fears the Dalits are shifting their loyalty to the BJP and its partners.

The booklet the JDU came out with today lists comments BJP leaders had issued against Manjhi. It highlights 28 such comments made by former deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi, 12 by senior BJP leader Nand Kishore Yadav and four by BJP state unit president Mangal Pandey. The booklet also highlights 19 comments Manjhi had made against the BJP, besides 10 controversial remarks he made at public meetings.

MLC and JDU spokesperson Neeraj Kumar said the party came out with the booklet to expose the truth about BJP leaders and their proximity to Manjhi. "The BJP's sympathy for Manjhi, Dalits and Mahadalits is mere eyewash. The BJP can never be pro-Dalit, as it treats the community as a vote bank. Just check the condition of Dalits in BJP-ruled states. They are treated very badly," Neeraj said.

The booklet is titled Dalit Virodhi Bhajpa (Anti-Dalit BJP) and shows, on its cover, Manjhi sitting on the chief minister's chair, surrounded by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Sushil Kumar Modi, Nand Kishore Yadav and Mangal Pandey, their perceived anti-Dalit or anti-Manjhi comments highlighted.

Sanjay also quoted from the Bhopal edition of a Hindi newspaper where Narendra Modi is shown as having called Dalits "mentally challenged" on April 27, 2010.