‘Akin to spreading rumours’: Customers, tea stall vendors reject LoP Rahul’s ‘different cups for Dalits’ claim

Maharajganj, Aug 30 (IANS) Customers and a tea stall vendor in Uttar Pradesh’s Maharajganj on Sunday rejected the Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi’s claims that Dalits, the most disadvantaged class of society, are served tea in separate paper cups at stalls, referring to it as “rumours”.

Addressing the media a day ago, LoP Gandhi said: “Dalits are not allowed to drink water from the village well, forcing them to dig their own wells because they are barred from using the common village well. At tea stalls, two types of cups are used – reusable glass cups and disposable paper or plastic cups. Dalits are served in the disposable cups, while others are served in glass cups”.

A couple of customers, being regular visitors to a local tea stall in Maharajganj shared their views, contrasting Rahul Gandhi’s claims of ‘casteism’ entrenched in the society, so much so that it could be experienced in tea cups as well.

Speaking to IANS, a customer, who identified himself as Ravi Dubey, turned down the claims made by the Leader of Opposition.

“I regularly go to tea stalls and there is no such thing of discriminating on the basis of caste. All of us sit together…everyone is equally treated at tea stalls,” he said.

“Whatever he (Gandhi) has said is absolutely wrong,” Dubey asserted.

Another customer, Shyam, echoed similar view, saying: “I have been coming to this tea stall for a long time now, no one is asked about their caste before being served tea.”

“Everyone is treated equally…whatever Rahul Gandhi said is not true,” he told IANS.

Sanjay, who runs a tea stall in the area, also rejected Rahul Gandhi’s claims, saying: “I don’t ask anyone their caste before serving them tea. I equally serve and respect everyone.”

“This is a rumour being spread by Rahul Gandhi that Dalits are served in different cups at tea stalls,” he told IANS.

Earlier in the day, Union Minister Giriraj Singh had criticised the LoP, accusing him of “attempting to create infightings” among social communities for his “pursuit of power”.

Rahul Gandhi made the remarks on Saturday while demanding that Prime Minister Narendra Modi instructs officials to file an FIR against those allegedly involved in the “shuddikaran” or purification of the Ramlila ground in Haldwani after Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge addressed a public meeting there.

–IANS

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