Savitribai Phule resigns from BJP; Bahraich MP alleges party "is trying to create divisions in society"

Savitribai Phule, a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP from Bahraich, Uttar Pradesh has resigned from the party, and has claimed that the BJP “is trying to create divisions in society.”

Phule has long been critical of the party’s leadership. The Dalit leader said her objective was to get the Constitution implemented in letter and spirit. She said she will launch an agitation to champion the cause of Dalits from 23 December, adding that the country needs a Constitution, not a temple.

Phule has recently been in the limelight for saying that Lord Hanuman was “a Dalit and a slave of ‘manuwadi’ people". She had also targeted Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for his comments on the caste of Hanuman.

During a poll rally in Malakheda of Alwar district, Adityanath had said, “Lord Hanuman was a forest dweller, deprived and a Dalit. Bajrang Bali worked to connect all Indian communities together, from north to south and east to west.”

Phule had then questioned Adityanath and asked whether he ever embraced Dalits. “If he (Adityanath) really loves Dalits then he should love them more than he loves Lord Hanuman. Has he ever embraced any Dalit? He might have been eating dinner at Dalit households, but the cook was not Dalit. There are Assembly polls and they don’t have any issue left, so they are terming Hanuman Ji as Dalit. They just want to take Dalit votes but now Dalits, backwards and tribals of the country has now understood their dhong,”

Phule had also criticised the party regarding the Ram temple issue. Phule said the BJP was raking up the matter as it had no other issues.

“The country does not need a temple. Will it end unemployment and other problems of Dalits and backwards? The temple will benefit Brahmins, who are only 3 percent. The money offered in temples is used by them for their gains,” she said. “We want rights given to us in the Constitution. “Hamko adhikar chahiya warna kursi khali karo [Give us our rights or leave the government>,“ she said.

Phule had earlier raised questions on BJP leaders dining at the houses of Dalits and had termed the founder of Pakistan Muhammad Ali Jinnah, “a mahapurush” (great personality), causing embarrassment to her party.

 With inputs from agencies