Dalit saint ticks off RSS chief Bhagwat; says caste reservation should continue

Special Correspondent

NewsBits.in

Bhopal/Ujjain: Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat got a piece of mind from Valmiki Dham head Sant Umeshanandji regarding caste-based reservation during the former’s visit to the dham on Tuesday in Ujjain.

The saint, during a one-to-one interaction with Bhagwat reportedly told the RSS chief that caste-based quota should continue and the issue requires patronage of RSS, sources said. Bhagwat reportedly replied that a discussion was required on the topic.

The RSS chief himself and the publicity chief of RSS Manmohan Vaidya have stirred hornet’s nest by making anti-reservation comments from public platforms during the past two years.

Bhagwat’s remark had come ahead of Bihar assembly polls in 2015 and is considered to be one of the reasons for BJP’s loss there. Vaidya’s comment came few weeks ago in Rajasthan with Uttar Pradesh polls round the corner.

During the discussion on Tuesday at Valmiki Dham, Sant Umeshanand reportedly said ‘aarakshan doodh malai wale ko nahi safai karne wale ko milna chahiye’ (reservation should be for sanitary workers and not the affluent people).

Earlier, Bhagwat bowed down before the saint following his arrival at Valmiki Dham and got blessings from the latter.

The RSS chief was in Ujjain for RSS’s gram sangam (village integration) programme and social harmony is one point of the programme. Bhagwat’s visit to Valmiki Dham is being looked upon as one step towards the social harmony agenda.

Valmiki Dham has a predominantly dalit following and was at the centre of a controversy last year when BJP president Amit Shah announced a ‘samarasta snan’ with dalit seers during the Simhastha at Ujjain, but later the format of the programme was changed. (Photo courtesy: naidunia.jagran.com)