Narendra Modi out to marginalise Dalit people: Rahul Gandhi at Jantar Mantar protest rally

While speaking at a rally held at Delhi's Jantar Mantar against the dilution of SC/ST atrocity bill, branding Modi "anti-Dalit."

“Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants Dalits to remain marginalised. He does not care for them...If Modi had a place for Dalits in his heart, his policies would have shown it by now," Gandhi said.

" When he was CM he wrote in his book ‘Daliton ko safai karne se anand milta hai’. This is his ideology, ” he said.

Other Opposition leaders, including Sitaram Yechury, were also present at the event organised by Telangana-based group Mahadika Reservation Vikas Samiti. 

"It was the Congress and former PM Rajiv Gandhi who thought about the Dalit Atrocities Act.  But PM Modi honoured the judge who changed," the Congress President added. 

Ridiculing BJP’s campaign slogan for 2019, ‘Saaf Neeyat, Sahi Vikas’ (Good Intention, Right Development), saying the PM doesn’t have ‘saaf neeyat’. 

The agitators are demanding the release of all their leaders arrested under criminal charges after April’s Bharat Bandh 

Dalit groups had earlier announced that they were withdrawing the planned 'Bharat Bandh' on August 9 after the Lok Sabha passed the amended SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Bill on August 6. 

However, a few groups such as Madiga Porotha Reservation Samithi (MPRS) had decided to hold protests at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi.

Reacting strongly to Gandhi's speech, BJP President Amit Shah said the top Congress leader was protesting against 'strongest amendment to the (SC/ST) Act' and advised him to speak 'about his party’s treatment towards  Babasaheb Ambedkar, Babu Jagjivan Ram and Sitaram Kesari.'