Days after BS Yeddyurappa received flak for eating food from a hotel instead of the meal prepared at a Dalit house in Tumakuru, the Karnataka BJP President on Monday sought to turn the tables on the ruling Congress and the JD(S).
He accused the two parties of disrespecting Dalits saying, "All the leaders who raised the issue must apologise to Dalits at whose homes I had breakfast. The reason for having breakfast at a Dalit's home was to send out a message that BJP and I are for a socially equitable. But what can I say when people are criticising me for having breakfast bought from outside?" he said.
Clarifying why he ate hotel food, Yeddyurappa told media persons, “The Dalit families have confirmed that they had ordered food from outside as the families could not cater to feed all the leaders on such a short notice. The whole point was having food at the homes of the Dalit families but not where the food was cooked. By casting aspersions on the BJP for not eating food cooked by the Dalit families, the Congress has insulted the entire Dalit community.”
In a bid to quash the speculation that he is anti-Dalit, the former Chief Minister, who visited Belagavi along with Udupi-Chikkamagaluru MP Shobha Karandlaje and other BJP leaders, ate breakfast prepared at the home of a Dalit family in Bagalkot on Monday.
The BJP leader was accused of practicing untouchability after eating breakfast in the house of a Dalit family in Tumakuru’s Gubbi taluk and also Kelakote taluk of Chitradurga on May 19.
A Dalit youth, Venkatesh D, had filed a complaint with the police against Yeddyurappa and alleged that the food consumed by the BJP state President and other leaders was ordered from a hotel.
Venkatesh D accused BS Yeddyurappa of practising untouchability which is punishable under law. He alleged that BS Yeddyurappa's act would convey a wrong message to the society.
The ruling Congress was quick to hit out at BSY, with Home Minister Dr G Parameshwara lashing out on Sunday, stating that the BJP leaders should be ashamed of themselves for reportedly eating idlis and vadas brought from a local hotel at the house of a Dalit in Gubbi.
After Yeddyurappa ate a hearty breakfast in Bagalkot at the home of a Dalit, he took to Twitter to lash out at the Congress leaders in a series of tweets. He alleged that “scared with the drifting of Dalit votes,” the Congress had stooped to “cheap propaganda” over his eating at a Dalit’s home.
“Congress is a party which did not even celebrate Dr BR Ambedkar’s 100th birth anniversary. It is the BJP, which is celebrating with festivities,” he tweeted.
1.Scared with the drifting of Dalit voters,Congress stoops to cheap propaganda on my everyday visit to Dalit's house.
— B.S. Yeddyurappa (@BSYBJP) May 22, 2017
2. Cong is a party which didn't even celebrate Dr.B.R.Ambekar's 100th birth anniversary.Its BJP which is celebrating 125th with festivities
— B.S. Yeddyurappa (@BSYBJP) May 22, 2017
3. Let the Congress explain what they did ruling the country to keep the legacy of Dr.Ambedkar alive ?
— B.S. Yeddyurappa (@BSYBJP) May 22, 2017
4.The greatest injustice ever done to Dr.Ambedkar when he was alive & after is by the Congress
— B.S. Yeddyurappa (@BSYBJP) May 22, 2017
Overwhelmed by the warm reception received during my visit to Dalit colony today at Bagalkote.Spoke about PM Sh. @narendramodi initiatives. pic.twitter.com/FlmyK2Aeb9
— B.S. Yeddyurappa (@BSYBJP) May 22, 2017