Amit Shah-Rahul Gandhi war of words escalates: Cong Prez corners BJP chief on 'rising' atrocities against Dalits

Congress President Rahul Gandhi. Photo: INCIndia/Twitter

NEW DELHI: Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Saturday attacked the Modi government over alleged rising atrocities against Dalits, citing a media report which claimed that BJP-ruled states registered the highest number of crimes against the Scheduled Castes. Gandhi remarks came days after he accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of having an "anti-Dalit" mindset. "Mr 56's best buddy, asked me to 'check my facts' when I said the BJP fuels violence against Dalits & Adivasis," he tweeted. "I hope the fact check I'm attaching below, will wake him and Mr 56 up from their deep slumber on these rising atrocities; or I and the Congress party will," he said, tagging a media report which cited the National Crime Records Bureau data of 2016 to claim that BJP-ruled states registered the highest number of crimes against the Scheduled Castes.

Mr 56’s best buddy, asked me to “check my facts” when I said the BJP fuels violence against Dalits & Adivasis.

I hope the fact check I’m attaching below, will wake him and Mr 56 up from their deep slumber on these rising atrocities; or I and the Congress party will. https://t.co/DWpEQkOuMS — Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) August 11, 2018

Gandhi has been taking at a swipe at Modi over his "56-inch chest" remark made at election rallies in the run-up to the 2014 polls. BJP chief Amit Shah had targeted the Congress chief to look at facts before criticising the government over issues related to the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes. Shah had also alleged that it was the opposition party that had a legacy of insulting Dalits. The BJP chief had urged the Gandhi scion to look into the past and contemplate on Congress' "treatment towards Babasaheb Ambedkar, Babu Jagjivan Ram and Sitaram Kesari". He alleged the Congress insulted Dalit aspirations for years. "Would have been good if Congress President would have spoken about his Party’s treatment towards Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar, Babu Jagjivan Ram and Sitaram Kesari. Congress way of treating Dalits is patronising and condescending. For years Congress insulted Dalit aspirations," Shah had said in a series of tweets.

 Referring to a bill brought by the Centre in Parliament to restore the original provisions in the SC/ST atrocity law, Shah said the NDA government, through a Cabinet decision and in Parliament ensured the strongest amendment to the Act. Shah had asked the Congress president to "give some time to facts". "Rahul Ji, when you are free from winking and disrupting Parliament, give some time to facts as well," Shah had said. (With inputs from PTI)