New Delhi: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has launched a scathing attack on the BJP, accusing it of undermining Dalit representation in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) by slashing the Scheduled Caste (SC) Committee strength from 35 to 21 members. AAP alleges that this amendment, passed by the BJP-led administration, is aimed at capturing the Chairperson post while sidelining 14 elected Dalit councillors.
Addressing a press conference, AAP Leader of Opposition in MCD House, Ankush Narang, described the BJP’s move as “blatantly anti-Dalit” and driven by “power greed.” He claimed that out of 42 SC-reserved seats in MCD, 31 are held by AAP, and reducing the committee size ensured that a BJP councillor—rather than an AAP Dalit councillor—would secure the top post.
Narang stated, “The BJP doesn’t have enough Dalit councillors to win this seat fairly. So, instead of respecting democratic norms, they restructured the committee to serve their political motives. They removed 14 elected Dalit representatives and stacked the panel with 18 nominated members out of 21.”
Highlighting discrepancies, Narang noted that BJP has only 9 Dalit councillors yet placed all of them in the new committee, alongside members from Indraprastha Vikas Party (IVP) and Congress—despite Congress having no elected Dalit councillor. “This alliance of convenience reveals BJP’s desperation and anti-Dalit mindset,” he added.
City SP Zone Chairman and senior councillor Vikas Tang echoed the concerns, saying, “I’ve been part of MCD since 2007. The SC Committee always had 35 members. This is the first time it has been reduced—just to guarantee BJP’s control. Fourteen voices that could’ve spoken for the Dalit community have been silenced.”
यह भी पढ़ें: Delhi MCD: एमसीडी में दलितों की आवाज़ दबाने के लिए भाजपा ने एससी कमेटी की सदस्य संख्या घटाई: आम आदमी पार्टी का आरोप
Tang further accused BJP of consistently acting against the interests of Dalits and sanitation workers. “While AAP passed a resolution to regularize 12,000 sanitation workers, many of whom are Dalits, BJP continues to deny them justice,” he said.
Both leaders emphasized that the AAP will continue to fight for Dalit rights and expose what they called BJP’s systematic attempt to diminish democratic representation and suppress marginalized voices in civic governance.
