24

Sep

Amit Shah Loses Face as  Selja rejects BJP offer  

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Dr Satish Misra

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New Delhi | Tuesday | 24 September 2024

Turning tables on its main political opponent, the Congress made the BJP eat crow on Monday 23 September when it swiftly countered Union Home Minister Amit Shah's charge that the country’s oldest party was “insulting” Dalit leader Kumari Selji when she announced loud and clear the country’s oldest political party was in her “blood”.

The Union Home Minister had charged the Congress for “insulting” Dalit leaders like Kumari Selja and Ashok Tanwar on Monday at an election rally at Tohana in Haryana and look and behold the AICC made public that she will join the party’s campaign on September 26.

Recently, Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar had invited Selja to join the BJP amid reports that she was staying away from the campaign for the Assembly polls.

In a change of tactics, the Congress has learnt to beat its rival at the political-strategic game by setting the narrative. Shah wanted to set the narrative that the Congress is anti-Dalit to garner Dalit votes in Haryana but the Congress exposed the saffron move.    

Article at a Glance
The Congress party has countered Union Home Minister Amit Shah's charge that it was "insulting" Dalit leader Kumari Selja. Selja has announced that she will join the party's campaign on September 26, rejecting claims that she may switch sides.
She stated that the party is in her "blood" and she is not going anywhere. The Congress has exposed the BJP's move to set a narrative that the party is anti-Dalit to garner Dalit votes in Haryana.
Selja has also clarified that she is an aspirant for the Chief Minister's post if the Congress wins and that there should be adequate and equal representation of all sections of society. The Congress has learned to beat its rival at the political-strategic game by setting the narrative.

Selja rejected claims by several BJP leaders that she may switch sides. “There is no question of leaving the Congress. The party is in my blood. Till his last breath, my father was a Congressman and he was wrapped in the Congress’s flag when he left us all. Selja will also be wrapped in the same Congress party’s flag. I am not going anywhere.”

She added that BJP leaders should not use her absence from the campaign as a reason to attack the Congress. “I have had a far longer political career and political experience than all those who are taking my name and speculating about me quitting the Congress.”

Selja, who has not hidden her ambitions to be Chief Minister should the Congress win, had pushed for a ticket from Uklana (SC) Assembly seat. However, with Selja having just won from Sirsa in the Lok Sabha polls, the Congress high command was not keen on her vacating the seat and asked her to campaign for party candidates.

Trying to target the main political rival, Shah launched a scathing attack on the Congress, calling it an “anti-Dalit” party and saying it “insulted” Dalit leaders like Kumari Selja and Ashok Tanwar.

Sela, who has issues with Bhupinder Singh Hooda camp, met Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge in New Delhi late Sunday.

Sources said that Salja, who has been missing from the party’s election campaign since September 12, raised several issues with Kharge, including how she and several other senior party leaders and workers were “ignored” while formulating the party’s manifesto, how the candidates were selected, and how she and other deserving party workers and leaders had been kept out of party platforms.

Incidentally, Kharge made a politically savvy move, cancelled a rally that he was supposed to address at his first public meeting in Haryana’s Ambala and Gannaur on 23 September at the last minute to send a signal to Hooda citing “ill health”. The rallies were addressed by Hooda instead.

Confirming that she met Kharge, Selja told the media: “Several issues were raised by me. But, it would not be correct for me to speak on those issues publicly. It is our party’s internal matter.” Sources said Kharge heard her out and assured her that her grievances would be redressed.

Selja clarified that there is no discontent within the party, but some internal issues are being worked through as part of its ongoing progress.

The 61-year-old Congress leader, a prominent Dalit figure in the party said that BJP leaders should refrain from offering her advice.

When she was campaigning in Haryana, Selja said, “Very soon, I shall be there.”

After September 12, when the party released its last list of candidates, Selja had virtually not been seen or heard in Haryana.

Selja told media that she very much remained “an aspirant for the CM’s post” if the Congress wins. “It is due to my long political standing and the wishes of my supporters that I have reached here. There should be adequate and equal representation of all sections of society.”

Earlier, Shah also lashed out at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for his remarks on reservation and asserted that if there is anybody who can protect the quota, it is only Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“The Congress party is an anti-Dalit party,” alleged Shah in his address.

“The Congress always insulted Dalit leaders, be it Ashok Tanwar or sister Kumari Selja. The Congress insulted everyone,” he further alleged.

The ruling BJP has been targeting the Congress over Dalit leader Selja staying away from the poll campaign.

Referring to Gandhi's remarks on reservation, Shah said, “Rahul Gandhi spoke in America that there was no need for reservation after development. They (Congress) will remove reservations after development.

“Our Haryana is a fully developed state. Do you want a reservation or not?” Shah asked the gathering.

“If there is anybody who can protect the SC and OBC reservation, it is the Prime Minister only”, he asserted.

Attacking the previous Congress government, Shah said before the BJP came to power in the state, government jobs were not given without 'Karachi' (corruption) or patch (favouritism).

He said it was the BJP government which transparently provided jobs.

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