Government committed to welfare of dalits: PM Modi

Varanasi: With his government under attack over the dalit student's suicide in Hyderabad, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said his government was committed to the welfare of dalits, poor and oppressed.

At a function to distribute aides to differently-abled persons in his constituency, he referred to dalits but made no mention of the controversy over the suicide of a dalit research scholar in Hyderabad University over which two of his ministers have come under attack.

"This government is dedicated to the poor - dalits, oppressed and deprived and will attempt to do something for those who have to suffer in life. This government is committed to the welfare of the poor and how their lives can be changed and this government has been making constant efforts in this

regard," he said.

Modi said he is under tremendous attack all the time and attempts are made to pitchfork him in into controversies but he would not digress from his path of working for the poor.

"Sometimes it seems the entire world is after me. Since morning I am under attack from all corners. Their attempt is to make Modi digress from his path and make him embroil in controversies.

"But my mantra is to help poor and downtrodden and that is why I remain unfazed. All this is happening as the system is changing and middlemen are being eradicated," he said.

"The nut bolts are being tightened, shops are being shut and that is why these problems are cropping up. Such people are being bothered but I am not. If I am pained, it is due to the plight of the poor and their problems and not because of the problems of middlemen," he said.

Calling for a change in mindset towards differently-abled, the Prime Minister said they should be addressed as "divyang" instead of "viklang" and people should view the special powers God has given to such people instead of their shortcomings.

He also announced starting the 'Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan' to provide facilities to such people in government offices and help make their lives comfortable and if need be some rules may also be changed to enable such things. Modi announced that every government building henceforth will have facilities like ramps and toilet seats for the differently-abled.