Maharashtra BJP MLA Compares Dalits, Farmers to Pigs

Mumbai: Maharashtra Bharatiya Janata Party MLA stirred a controversy by comparing Dalits to pigs.

In the presence of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Dombivli MLA Ravindra Chavan said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Fadnavis are working for 16-18 hours a day and they think of farmers and Dalits as piglets in a gutter and are trying to remove them from there,

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis are working for 16-18 hours a day with a dream to make this a 100 per cent BJP state. They may have to face many hardships, but they always think of farmers and Dalits as those piglets trapped in a gutter, and try to remove them from there," Chavan said.

The video is purportedly of an event in neighbouring Thane district on June 17.

Chavan cited the example of Abraham Lincoln narrating a story where Lincoln picked up a "piglet" from a drain and cleaned it.

The political parties are up in arms against the BJP MLA for his controversial remarks.

The NCP activists has held a demonstration against the BJP MLA over his statement which they said has hurt the feelings of Dalits and farmers.

The activists had said that they felt offended by the "derogatory" statement reportedly made by the legislator.

They had demanded that a case under Atrocities Act be registered against the MLA and his membership to the Legislative Assembly be cancelled.

(With additional information from PTI)