CHENNAI: Activists and

have come together under an umbrella organisation – the Joint Action Committee of Persons with Disabilities against Communal and Hate Politics -- to campaign against the BJP-AIADMK alliance in

.

District level units of the organisations of disabled people would campaign in their respective constituencies. They would meet people to urge them to vote out political parties that thrive on “hate politics.”

The organisations would also take up an active campaign through social media.

“We have arrived at the decision after accessing the ruling parties at the Centre and in the state and their attitude towards the disabled people in the last five years,” said activist P Manoharan who addressed reporters here on Thursday.

Criticising the Narendra Modi government for naming the welfare department for disabled people as ‘Divyangjan’ and for levying GST on assistive devices for them, Deepak said that they would carry out their campaign in various forums and social media to reach out to the people.

“The

government assured in the floor of parliament that it would bring changes in certain provisions under social security schemes that legalised the discrimination of differently abled people. But the government is yet to fulfil the promise,” he said.

He pointed out that the railways had removed several SLRD coaches (coaches for disabled people) across the country without any announcement.

Slamming Prime Minister for ridiculing disability in a recent interaction programme with students, activists and special educator S Namburajan said the PM had not tendered an apology for his denigrating remarks and his government had done nothing for the welfare of the disabled people.

The members of the organisations criticised Chennai district election officer G Prakash’s statement that officials were able to identify only 50% of the differently abled people on the electoral lists. This showed the lacklustre approach of the officials, they said.