Hapur, Oct 17 (PTI) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday said the BJP under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership is realising B R Ambedkar's dream of inclusive development.

Speaking at a party programme aimed at Dalit outreach, Adityanath also slammed the Samajwadi Party and claimed that those who have "oppressed" Dalits are now talking about the ideals of Ambedkar and Kanshi Ram.

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His remarks came at the BJP's 'Conference for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes' in Hapur. The event, according to a senior party official, is the first in a series of outreach programmes for Dalits scheduled to be held across the state in the coming days.

"If anyone has given due respect to Ambedkar, it is only Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” Adityanath said, mentioning the memorials built by the BJP-led central government for the Dalit icon and head of the drafting committee that made India's Constitution.

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In Delhi, the construction of Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar International Centre has been completed under the guidance of Modi, he said, adding that his government is making a similar institute in Lucknow where youth from the scheduled caste and schedule tribe communities will be able to pursue higher education and get coaching.

"For the first time since Independence, if any party has realised the dreams of Ambedkar for inclusive development, it is the BJP under Modi's leadership. 'Sabka Sath Sabka Vikas' is not a mere slogan but a thought reflected in policies," Adityanath said.

Adityanath was joined by BJP's state president Bhupendra Chaudhary, western UP chief Satyendra Sisodia, Union Ministers V K Singh, Kaushal Kishore, UP ministers Asim Arun, Gulab Devi, Dinesh Khatik, Kapil Dev Agarwal, Rajya Sabha MP Kanta Kardam, Meerut MP Rajendra Agarwal, and Bulandshahr MP Bhola Singh, among others.

Adityanath said the non-BJP governments in the past framed policies with a focus on specific people, communities, and religions but now the benefit of welfare schemes is given to everyone without any discrimination.

The beneficiaries of government schemes for housing, toilets, and healthcare among others are across communities and religions, he said.

The chief minister also slammed the Samajwadi Party for "oppressing" Dalits.

"Asim Arun ji was right when he said that it is laughable that the same people who oppressed Dalits are now talking about Dr Ambedkar, Manyavar Kanshi Ram. We really wonder if these people would walk the talk or are they just fooling the people," Adityanath said.

"Isn't it correct that in 2016, the Samajwadi Party stopped the scholarship of all Dalit students in the state?" he said.

Addressing the crowd of thousands of people, including Dalits, from various parts of western Uttar Pradesh, Adityanath said since the BJP government came to power in the state in 2017, all events and festivals like Ambedkar Jayanti, Ravidas Jayanti, Valmiki Jayanti and the Kanwar Yatra are celebrated with full glory.

"Today we have all come here in front of you to take this further. This double-engine government (referring to BJP in power at the Centre and in UP) is working for your prosperity, happiness, security and to realise the dreams of Ambedkar,” he said.

"We are here to assure you that the way this double-engine government has worked till now, it will continue in the future," he added.

Adityanath said the last person in the queue is the fulcrum of PM Modi's policies because he believes that these people are the foundation of the country's strength.

"Specific people, communities or religions are no longer the focus point of government policies and instead villagers, youth, women, the deprived communities be it the Musahars or tribals, or any person who has so far remained untouched by the benefits of government policies are at the centre of policies now," he said.

BJP's UP chief Chaudhary said previous governments led by Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party used communities as "vote banks" and discriminated in welfare schemes.

"But in the BJP, we believe in 'Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas', whether at the Centre or in Uttar Pradesh,” he said.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)