INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Dalit outreach programme, union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad had lunch with some members of the community at a five-star hotel in Patna on
Saturday.Earlier in the day, Mr Prasad, who is the minister for law and IT, laid the foundation for a wooden bridge at the Dalit-dominated
Cheema Kothi area of the city.Accompanied by Nand Kishore Yadav, a BJP minister in the Bihar government, and two party legislators, Mr
Prasad reached the Dalit basti and garlanded a picture of Dr BR Ambedkar.The BJP top leadership had instructed the party's lawmakers to
visit Dalit-dominated areas and listen to the problems faced by the community besides making them aware of the schemes that the government
the two BJP legislators stayed back to have a community lunch with Dalits that was organized by the BJP youth wing at a venue nearby, Mr
Prasad left for Hotel Maurya, where he had an official engagement.Later, Mr Prasad tweeted pictures of him having lunch at the hotel with
some Dalit entrepreneurs, an event that was scheduled.Mr Yadav sought to clear the air on the union minister's absence at the community
lunch in which 'khichdi' was served."He had an official engagement that was much publicised, for which he was getting late
Don't read anything more into it, said Mr Yadav.At the IT event, Mr Prasad felicitated rural women entrepreneurs belong to the scheduled
caste and scheduled communities for their pioneering work in providing digital services to the poor."They are the torchbearers of our
efforts to empower common people," said Mr Prasad.
