Patna: LJP president Ram Vilas Paswan, the Union minister for consumer affairs, food and public distribution, called Narendra Modi the biggest Ambedkarite on Sunday, while congratulating the Prime Minister for the passage of the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Amendment Act.
"Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the biggest follower of Baba Saheb Bhim Rao Ambedkar and with passage of the amendment bill, he has proved his concern for the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes," Paswan said at an LJP function organised at SK Memorial Hall to congratulate Modi. Paswan added that the Prime Minister was an expert in rowing boats against the current.
The party had called all its leaders and workers from the different cells, including SC/ST and EBC (extremely backward classes). Jamui MP and Paswan's son Chirag Paswan, MP Ramchander Paswan and Bihar minister Pashupati Kumar Paras also attended the function.
Paswan said the Congress was the biggest anti-Dalit party as it only considered Dalits and Minorities as their votebank. He questioned the Opposition's pro-Dalit credentials and fired off 14 questions at Congress president Rahul Gandhi.
"I ask why was there no portrait of BR Ambedkar in Parliament when there were portraits of other leaders? Why was Ambedkar not given the Bharat Ratna when the Congress government was in power?" he shot off.
Ambedkar's portrait was put up in Parliament in 1989 under VP Singh's government while the Father of the Constitution was conferred the Bharat Ratna in 1990, 34 years after his death.
Paswan also hailed chief minister Nitish Kumar's contribution in giving reservation in promotion to SC/ST personnel last month.
Chirag said the party will organise the function throughout the country to highlight the Union government's initiative in passing the amended SC/ST legislation.
He also said the concept of grand alliance was myth as the leaders - Bengal chief minister Mamta Banerjee, Andhra Pradesh chief minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, BSP chief Mayawati, Congress chief Rahul Gandhi - are fighting among themselves to become the Prime Minister.
