Union Minister Anantkumar Hegde, who had earlier apologised to the Parliament for his remarks on amending the Constitution, sparked another controversy on Saturday after he reportedly compared Dalit protestors with dogs.
The minister was in Ballari city to inaugurate a job fair when a group of Dalit activists stopped his convoy and shouted slogans criticising his comment on amending the Constitution, NDTV reported. Later, speaking at the fair, the minister said that the government was determined to help the people of the state and transform the country as Prime Minister Narendra Modi has envisaged. “We cannot be bogged down by some street dogs staging protests,” he added.
The comment angered Dalit groups, who staged a demonstration and shouted slogans against Hegde. A few of them attempted to block the minister’s convoy and were taken into custody, The Hindu reported.
Actor Prakash Raj, who has criticised the minister in recent months, asked the Bharatiya Janata Party leadership if they condoned Hegde’s comment. “Supreme leaders of [the] BJP, will you ask him to step down, or do you endorse his abuse?” the actor said on Twitter.
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