In Tanwar’s return, Congress gets poll booster, ammo to counter BJP’s anti-Dalit narrative

The BJP had particularly sharpened the onslaught aft AICC wide caput and Sirsa MP Kumari Selja, a gangly Dalit leader, distanced herself from party’s campaign, reportedly implicit not being fixed owed stock successful summons distribution.

The Congress, however, says that it has posted much Dalits astatine cardinal positions than the BJP. “We person had 4 Dalit authorities enactment chiefs successful the past 20 years. “Be it Phool Chand Mullana, Tanwar, Selja, oregon now, Udai Bhan – each person been from Dalit community. On the contrary, BJP contested 2014 elections with Rambilas Sharma, a Brahmin, arsenic its president. Then came Subhash Barala and and Om Prakash Dhankar — some from Jat community. Nayab Singh Saini past took implicit arsenic BJP authorities enactment main and was aboriginal appointed the CM and BJP named Mohan Lal Badoli, a Brahmin, arsenic it’s authorities portion chief,” a elder Congress person said.

Meanwhile, Tanwar, who was officially inducted into the Congress in New Delhi connected Friday, urged each sections, particularly Dalits and backward classes, to guarantee a large mandate for the enactment successful the Assembly polls to nonstop a connection to the full country.

The 47-year-old had informally joined the enactment astatine Rahul Gandhi’s rally successful Mahendragarh connected Thursday, jumping vessel conscionable implicit an hr aft campaigning for a BJP campaigner successful Safidon.

CM Saini termed Tanwar’s instrumentality to Congress arsenic “his idiosyncratic choice”. Speaking to reporters aft paying obeisance astatine Mansa Devi temple, Saini said, “He [Tanwar] has had the sensation [of politics] successful respective parties. He indispensable person seen thing for himself [in the Congress]. It is his idiosyncratic choice”.

However, Tanwar, who had discontinue Congress successful 2019, talking astir his ‘ghar wapasi’, said, “A idiosyncratic lone comes to cognize the value of his home, erstwhile helium leaves it”.

“I began my governmental vocation with the Congress. In the past fewer months I was with the BJP, the situation that I saw, I was wounded implicit a fig of issues. The religion that should beryllium determination successful Babasaheb Ambedkar and the Constitution is not determination (in the BJP). The BJP’s argumentation is to task religion wherever caste does not enactment and vice-versa,” Tanwar said successful New Delhi.

“To marque Haryana No. 1 and to guarantee radical get their rights, I petition each Dalits and backward classes… each sections…to springiness a large mandate to the Congress to nonstop a connection to the country,” helium said.

Asked astir allegations of opportunism and losing from Sirsa parliamentary constituency connected a BJP ticket, Tanwar said, “I would not similar to accidental thing negative, but the BJP itself knows that Ashok Tanwar did not suffer there, the BJP mislaid determination and the BJP’s argumentation mislaid there.”

After joining the BJP successful January this year, Tanwar had unsuccessfully contested against Kumari Selja from Sirsa Lok Sabha constituency successful May. The BJP had picked him implicit its sitting Sirsa MP Sunita Duggal.

AICC treasurer Ajay Maken, who formally inducted Tanwar, said his “joining the enactment would further fortify the combat initiated by Rahul Gandhi to prevention the Constitution and instrumentality guardant the ideals of Babasaheb Ambedkar”.

Later, Tanwar, accompanied by enactment MP Deepender Hooda, met AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge. “We are with 36 communities successful Haryana. Our resoluteness is for everyone. We volition ever rise the dependable of Dalits, tribals, backward classes, minorities and the poor,” Kharge said successful a station connected X.

A adjacent subordinate of Tanwar, Anil Bhardwaj, said his instrumentality would payment the Congress successful astatine slightest 10-15 Assembly seats. “In galore constituencies, Tanwar tin plaything astatine slightest 2,500-5,000 votes,” added Bhardwaj

BJP, however, does not look impressed. Rahul Gandhi, astatine a canvass rally successful Haryana, made Bhupinder Singh Hooda and Kumari Selja articulation hands connected signifier successful an effort to amusement that determination was nary factionalism successful authorities enactment unit. Saini had past said that joining hands does not mean “their hearts person besides met”. “Holes person been made successful hearts by casteist remarks and insult for Dalits. Victimisation of Dalits has been a contented of Congress party,” helium had said.

Addressing a property league successful Karnal connected Thursday, Hooda had deed backmost astatine the saffron party, alleging it has a dubious grounds of 78 persons being killed successful the authorities “as it ran a authorities of lathis and bullets for 10 years”.

“During this anti-people government, a grounds 78 radical were killed by constabulary bullets. During the Dera occurrence (in 2017) successful Panchkula (violence which broke retired aft Dera Sacha Sauda main Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh was convicted for raping 2 disciples), 40 radical died. It was told that possibly 30 of the deceased were Dalits. The BJP had allowed a assemblage of radical to stitchery successful Panchkula against the orders of the court. The High Court itself raised questions connected the decease of 40 radical successful constabulary firing, but the BJP could not reply anyone,” helium said.