Akhilesh Yadhav said that Uttar Pradesh is number one on atrocities on Dalits. File
| Photo Credit: PTI
The race for outreach towards Dalits intensified among the Opposition players in Uttar Pradesh on Sunday (April 20, 2025) with Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav alleging that the State was on top of atrocities committed against the Dalit community. The SP chief is pitching his PDA (Pichhda, Dalit, Alpsankhyak) formula as a forum for Dalit upliftment against the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.
“Uttar Pradesh is number one on atrocities on Dalits. A Dalit was burnt to death in Prayagraj. Our PDA platform is a forum to connect people from all communities, especially focused on marginalised groups. If BJP had won 400 seats in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, then today rifles and swords would have been waving on the streets,” said Mr. Yadav, addressing media in Prayagraj.
Putting up data claiming lesser representation of PDA, meaning Pichhda, Dalits and Alpsankhyak, acronym for Backwards, Dalit and Minority, in key officials’ postings in districts, he said, “total postings in Agra are 48, out of which PDA is 15, in Mainpuri out of 15 key officials, representation of PDA is three. Prayagraj will also have similar data,” he alleged, hinting at caste-based postings. Mr. Yadav accused the BJP of neglecting officials hailing from PDA social groups in key government postings.
On the other hand, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) president Mayawati cautioned the Dalit community and hit out particularly at the SP alleging that like the Congress and the BJP, it could never become a true well-wisher of Dalits-Bahujans. Calling the SP as extreme casteist party, recalling the infamous 1995 Lucknow guest house incident, the BSP leader called it a murderous attack on herself and described the previous SP government renaming new districts and educational institutions created in honour of Dalit icons as acts that are impossible to forgive by the community.
“Like Congress, BJP etc., SP too, far from doing any real welfare and upliftment of the Bahujans, especially the Dalits, by giving them their constitutional rights, has no sympathy for the community. The SP’s betrayal of BSP, murderous attack on its leadership on June 2, tearing the Bill on reservation in promotion in Parliament, changing the names of new districts, parks, educational and medical colleges created in honour of their (Dalit) saints, gurus and great men etc. are such blatant casteist acts which are impossible to forgive,” she wrote on X.
She added, “While BSP has been successful to a great extent in its mission of eliminating the caste system through its continuous efforts, the SP is trying in every way to spoil it for the fulfillment of its narrow political interests. People must be cautious,”.
Reacting sharply to the statement by Ms. Mayawati, the SP said the party was the most potent opposition political force in the State fighting against atrocities committed on Dalits and raising the community’s concerns democratically across all platforms.
“If you look at the parliamentary proceedings, our party raised issues of Dalit and marginalised interests continuously and forcefully, which shows our commitment to social justice, and it has sent a positive message among the marginalised sections. We stood on our promise made in the run-up to the 2024 Lok Sabha campaign, about fighting with all our might for the deprived sections and not allowing any constitutional amendments that might jeopardise the interests of the minorities, and Dalits. The BSP’s discomfort stems from the success of the SP outreach and Akhilesh Yadav Ji’s appeal among Dalits and youth”, said Ram Pratap Singh, SP spokesperson.
‘Dalits key to outcome’
Analysts point out that the outreach is aimed at getting traction of the community, which is in high numbers in Uttar Pradesh. “With approximately 21% population, Dalit electorate is the most pivotal vote in Uttar Pradesh, key to any electoral outcome, all parties be it the BJP, the SP, the BSP and the Congress are making efforts to gain traction with this key community. But the bitter truth remains that even after 75 years of Independence, no political party has a solution or a road map to uplift the Dalits, making the community still untouchable,” said Ajit Kumar Jha, veteran political analyst.
Published – April 20, 2025 10:08 pm IST
