Mangaluru: State Correspondent of Dalith Sangharsh Samithi, Venkata Giriyaiah said that the government is not protecting human rights. Dalits are still being discriminated by people from upper-caste.

He was speaking at a programme held to commemorate Dr Ambedkar’s 125th birth anniversary at Town Hall today.

“Prime Minister Modi announced Dr Ambedkar’s birthday, April 14 as World Knowledge Day, but the BJP government should celebrate it as their enlightenment day. The PM started ‘Swachh Bharat Abhiyan’ around two years back, but the ‘Safayi’ workers who are mostly dalits, are doing ‘Safayi’ since very long time,” he said.

He questioned that when you can outsource municipal workers, why don’t you outsource IAS officers?

“The right-wing groups call for bandh when a Hindu is marrying a Muslim, but they keep quiet when the farmers commit suicide,” he said.

Chief Minister’s Media Advisor, Dinesh Ameen Mattu said that Buddha was called the tenth avatar of Vishnu; in future Dr Ambedkar might be called the next avatar.

“Dr Ambedkar wanted the agricultural zone to be led by co-operatives and industries to be nationalized. The poor and atheists can’t contest elections today. This is the contempt of the constitution written by Dr Ambedkar,” he said.

Sanghpal Ananda Bodhi from Buddha Vihar, Bidar; Social Activist Narendra Nayak; State President of DYFI Muneer Katipalla and others were present.