Maharashtra BJP MLA compares dalits to pigs

Maharashtra Social Justice minister Rajkumar Badole has said BJP MLA Ravindra Chavan should face action if has said anything "regrettable" against the dalits, after a video appeared in which the legislator purportedly used an analogy of pigs while talking about "uplift of dalits". 

"It is regrettable if he had said such a thing but I think he did not say anything like it," Badole said, adding that he had not seen the video. 

"If he had said it then action should be taken. The Chief Minister will definitely take action if he said it," the minister said here. 

The video showing Chavan, BJP MLA from Dombivali, using analogy of pigs while talking about "uplift of the Dalits" has gone viral on the social media, prompting NCP to demand that he apologise. 

The video is purportedly of an event in Thane district on June 17.  NDA ally Republican Party of India (RPI) too has demanded BJP to take action against Chavan. 

"I condemn Chavan's statement and on the behalf of Republican Party of India, I demand that BJP should take action against him because it is a very objectionable statement," said RPI leader Ramdas Athwale. 

He, however, defended BJP saying that not only the party but Prime Minister Narendra Modi also "fully" supports dalit community and the philosophy of Dr Ambedkar. 

"BJP is fully supporting dalit community. Narendra Modi is also taking many decisions to support the community and he is also supporting Babasaheb Ambedkar's philosophy," he said.