Bhopal: Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Digvijay Singh has said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has burnt the aspirations and hopes of scheduled castes (SCs) and scheduled tribes (STs) of the country including Madhya Pradesh, by burning the 'Bhopal Declaration' on April 25 at Mhow.

Strongly condemning the BJP's act of burning the 'Bhopal Declaration', Singh said, "The SCs and STs, who have remained deprived for Centuries and suffered injustice have taken a note of this and would not forgive BJP for its act and punish it."

The burning of 'Bhopal Declaration' at dalit conference at Mhow was a manifestation of anti-dalit and anti-poor attitude of this desperate party, Singh said in a statement issued late on April 25 night.

The 'Bhopal Declaration' is a document neither of the Congress party nor of the government of Madhya Pradesh, but it was unanimously adopted at the Bhopal conference last year when over thousand representatives of dalit and tribal communities across the country gathered and deliberated their problems, he said.

BJP workers had on April 25 burnt copies of the dalit declaration, which were distributed at the party's convention at Mhow.

Although it was not clear as to who distributed the copies of the document, with neither the Congress nor the state government willing to owe up the matter, senior BJP leader Uma Bharti alleged some people had come in a jeep with copies of the declaration, which were later burnt.

Describing BJP's dalit conference as misleading election ploy, Singh said it concluded with an act, which has deeply hurt the feelings of these communities.

"It is a matter of pride that Madhya Pradesh government adopted the 'Bhopal Declaration' and in a year started implementing it," he said and added that BJP should adopt it instead of burning this historic document if it is serious about the welfare of dalit and tribal communities.

The Chief Minister said when Bhopal conference was organised in January 2002 and as a result 'Bhopal Declaration' was issued and adopted, the BJP described it as election ploy while elections were miles away then.

Today, when Assembly elections are fast approaching, the BJP has started remembering Dr Ambedkar and talking of welfare of dalits, Singh said, adding it is amply clear as to who is playing the politics of vote.

He said the BJP should make its stand clear whether it wants to see members of SCs/STs becoming traders and entrepreneurs.

It should clearly say whether it has any objection about participation of SCs/STs in private sector, study of children of these communities in public convents or the rights to the STs over mineral and forest wealth, he said.

"If the BJP does not object to the initiatives for giving these facilities to SCs and STs, then why is it opposing the 'Bhopal Declaration'?" the Chief Minister asked.

PTI