Rajnath supports Rahul

“Be it Gandhi or Deendayal Upadhyaya, you don’t have to be a Dalit to empathise with them. Wasn’t Deendayal Upadhyay’s Antyodaya movement meant for the all-round uplift of the downtrodden? And isn’t Mayawati’s own track record a shocking tale of betrayal of the Dalits,” he asked.

An aide later clarified that his assertion essentially questioned Mayawati’s “Dalits alone can lead Dalits” thesis.

With some in the party not shying away from another shot at a tie-up with the BSP, it was clear that Rajnath doesn’t quite approve of the idea.

He added, “Reaching out to the have-nots is important, but why must they be reduced to stunts?” However, if he was referring to Rahul’s attempt to reach out to the Congress’ erstwhile Dalit constituency, he was off the mark. While the CM of a southern state is known to carry his beddings and food every time he visits Dalits, Rahul’s visit is being seen as an impromptu move.

Rajnath added that he wouldn’t stop his son Pankaj from undertaking something similar.