The Congress on Wednesday termed Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai and state BJP strongman B S Yediyurappa having breakfast at a Dalit's house, as a "photo-op" for the sake of votes, ahead of assembly election next year in the state.
While Leader of Opposition Siddaramaiah hit out at the ruling BJP for not doing enough for the sake for dalits and other backward communities so far, AICC General Secretary in-charge of Karnataka Randeep Singh Surjewala took a dig at Bommai government by highlighting an incident where over a dozen Dalit workers were allegedly assaulted and held captive at an estate in Chikkamagaluru.
"As elections are approaching, they have started remembering Dalits, backward classes, SCs and STs, till now nothing has been done for their welfare by this government. Now for the sake of election and votes, they are visiting areas where Dalits and backward communities live," Siddaramaiah, who is here to take part in 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' led by Rahul Gandhi, told reporters in response to a question.
Bommai, Yediyurappa and other BJP leaders as part of party's 'Jana Sankalpa Yatra' had breakfast at a Dalit's house in Ambedkar Nagar of Kamalapura village in Vijayanagara district earlier on Wednesday. Surjewala in a tweet said, "The ugly stench of Dalit atrocities under Bommai Govt in Karnataka is nauseating - a 54% increase over last year. As Bommai-BSY (Yediyurappa) do photo-op of visiting a dalit house, BJP leader detains 16 Dalits & a hapless women loses her child."