By inducting Dalit leaders in the cabinet, Modi government wants to send a message that it is keen to work for their empowerment.
With an eye on the 2017 Uttar Pradesh assembly polls, the Modi government is going ahead with cabinet expansion as 12 new faces will be inducted. More representation will be given to Dalits and OBC candidates as UP is going to prominently figure in the reshuffle. RPI leader Ramdas Athawale will be allotted a cabinet portfolio to woo voters from the backward community. The government which had received flak for handling the Rohith Vemula issue is going for a major damage control mode to induct more leaders from the Dalit community. Even opposition parties had criticised the government for denying justice to Vemula who had committed suicide after discrimination was meted against Dalit students in Hyderabad Central University.
Even RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat’s comments pertaining to the review of reservation policy had cost the BJP dearly as it received severe drubbing in the Bihar assembly polls. RJD Chief Lalu Yadav had then challenged BJP and RSS to end reservations for Dalits and backward castes. By inducting Dalit leaders in the cabinet the government wants to send a message that it wants to work for their empowerment. The expansion of the Modi government will take place on Tuesday.
Shiv Sena’s Anil Desai, RPI’s Ramdas Bandu Athawale, BJP national vice-president Vinay Sahasrabuddhe, BJP MP from Saharanpur Raghav Lakhanpal, Uttar Pradesh’s Apna Dal leader Anupriya Patel, BJP MP from Bikaner Arjun Ram Meghwal, Gujarat BJP leader Purushottam Rupala, BJP MP from Darjeeling SS Ahluwalia and BJP MP from Almora Ajay Tamta will be inducted into the Cabinet, according to reports.
Dr Sanjeev Balyan, Union Minister of State for Agriculture and BJP MP from Muzaffarnagar may get promotion.
The Prime Minister has been holding consultations on the Cabinet reshuffle with senior party colleagues including BJP chief Amit Shah, Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.
Sources state that two new faces from Uttar Pradesh are likely to be inducted. Union Power Minister Piyush Goyal and State Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbabs Naqvi are set to be promoted.
Ramdas Athawale thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for this opportunity and promised to work for the welfare of backward castes.
“I just talked to Amit Shah ji and he has given me the message of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He told me that I will be taking oath on Tuesday. I am very happy that Prime Minster Modi and party president have given us this opportunity,” he said.
Athawale recalled that Dr Ambedkar was a minister in India’s first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru’s Cabinet and said that the RPI didn’t get an opportunity after that.
“But now the RPI is getting a representation in the Cabinet. All the Dalits of the country will be very happy. The Prime Minister will decide on the portfolios tomorrow. I will work for the Dalits and backward classes of the society,” he added.
Sachin Sawant spokesperson of MPCC said, “At last he has been inducted in the cabinet. This is his personal achievement. Since last two years he has ignored many atrocities committed against Dalits. BJP is least bothered about the plight of Dalits and people are aware about their Manuwadi mentality. By inducting Ramdas Athawale will not help them in UP election.”
