Thane: A Dalit leader from Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday alleged that FDI in retail will impoverish Dalits and the SC/ST community.
Addressing the National Dalit Conference here, he said reservations should be given to Dalits, SCs and STs.
"Foreign direct investment in retail will affect the SC/ST community the most. Dalits should get reservation in FDI in retail," Indian Justice Party president Udit Raj said.
It`s black money which went to foreign countries coming back in the form of foreign direct investment, he alleged.
Lashing out at various Dalit leaders in Parliament, he said not even a single leader from the community raised their voice for reservation for Dalits in the retail sector.
"Reservations in government jobs and politics are the only means for the development of the SC/ST community. If reservations are not given to SCs and STs, it will lead to poverty. However, government jobs for Dalits are also coming to an end," he said.
The conference was organised by Republican Party of India (RPI) president Ramdas Athawale to bring Dalit leaders from various political parties on a common platform.
Udit Raj said that since the number of jobs in the government sector was coming down due to privatisation, there are no reservations, and so Dalits are affected.
He urged Athawale to press the Maharashtra government for Special Component Plan and Tribal Sub-plan legislations in the state legislature.
"Only Andhra Pradesh has brought the legislation on Special Component Plan and Tribal Sub-plan. Athawale should demand similar legislations in Maharashtra," he said.
BJP spokesperson and former Rajya Sabha MP Ramnath Kovind congratulated Athwale for bringing Dalit leaders from various political parties together.
"I congratulate him for bringing Dalit leaders from various parties together. This is a new beginning," Kovind said.
However, not even a single Dalit leader from Maharashtra showed up at the conference, though Athawale claimed that due to the ongoing session of the Maharashtra Legislature in Nagpur, NCP minister Laxman Dhoble and Congress minister Nitin Raut could not attend the conference. PTI KVS BA "I congratulate him for bringing Dalit leaders from various parties together. This is a new beginning," Kovind said.
However, not even a single Dalit leader from Maharashtra showed up at the conference, though Athawale claimed that due to the ongoing session of the Maharashtra Legislature in Nagpur, NCP minister Laxman Dhoble and Congress minister Nitin Raut could not attend the conference.
PTI
