BJP MP today alleged in the Lok Sabha that a prominent Opposition lawmaker had demanded cleansing with ‘Gangajal’ of a trauma centre in a hospital in Madhya Pradesh after it was inaugurated by a local dalit MLA. (Representative Image Source: PTI)

A BJP MP today alleged in the Lok Sabha that a prominent Opposition lawmaker had demanded cleansing with ‘Gangajal’ of a trauma centre in a hospital in Madhya Pradesh after it was inaugurated by a local dalit MLA. Virendra Kumar said local MLA Gopilal Jatav had on July 21 inaugurated the trauma centre at government hospital in Ashok Nagar of Madhya Pradesh. After the inauguration, “an important member of Parliament gave a statement that Gangajal (water from river Ganga) be sprinkled there and the inauguration be done again,” Kumar alleged. Next day, Gangajal was sprinkled and the centre was inaugurated again, he claimed.

“This reflects the feudal mindset. On the one hand, they say they follow (Mahatma) Gandhi’s ideology and talk of eradicating untouchability, but on the other hand, they practice such things,” the BJP MP said. “On the one hand, the country’s highest position (post of President) has been given to a dalit and on the other, a dalit MLA has been humiliated,” he said and urged Speaker Sumitra Mahajan to take cognizance of the incident. Manohar Untwal (BJP) said this was not the first time that such an incident had taken place in Ashok Nagar.

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Earlier, a foundation stone laid by another dalit MLA had been washed by Gangajal. Raising another matter, B Vinod Kumar (TRS) wanted the government to expedite setting up of the ‘Equal Opportunities Commission’ as per the Sachar Committee Report. In March 2005, the UPA government had appointed a Committee headed by Justice (retd) Rajinder Sachar to examine the socio-economic and educational status of the Muslim community in India.

The report, tabled in Parliament in November 2006, had put forth recommendations to address the conditions and issues identified as affecting Muslims in India. “However, 10 years since the tabling of the committee report, no legislation on the Equal Opportunities Commission has been introduced in Parliament. I urge upon the government to look into the matter and introduce a bill to give effect to the Equal Opportunities Commission at the earliest,” Kumar said.