Tag: Scheduled Caste

  • Removal of converts from Scheduled Caste list: Chhattisgarh CM slams BJP over rally

    By PTI

    RAIPUR: A rally was held in Raipur in Chhattisgarh on Sunday by the ‘Janjati Suraksha Manch’ seeking the removal of the Scheduled Caste status of those who have converted from Hinduism to other religions.

    Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, however, said the rally was a “political show” backed by the Bharatiya Janata Party.

    “Religious conversions which were taking place on a large scale in Bastar, Surguja and Jashpur are now happening in the plain areas of the state as well. The Baghel government is doing nothing to stop it, which is emboldening those involved in such conversions,” former state minister and BJP leader Ramvichar Netam claimed.

    Hitting back, Baghel said BJP leaders must “gherao” their nine Lok Sabha MPs from the state over this “delisting” demand.

    “They (BJP) did not raise this issue when their party was in power under Raman Singh. Delisting is a matter of the Centre and the state government has no say in it. The BJP is misleading people,” Baghel said.

    RAIPUR: A rally was held in Raipur in Chhattisgarh on Sunday by the ‘Janjati Suraksha Manch’ seeking the removal of the Scheduled Caste status of those who have converted from Hinduism to other religions.

    Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, however, said the rally was a “political show” backed by the Bharatiya Janata Party.

    “Religious conversions which were taking place on a large scale in Bastar, Surguja and Jashpur are now happening in the plain areas of the state as well. The Baghel government is doing nothing to stop it, which is emboldening those involved in such conversions,” former state minister and BJP leader Ramvichar Netam claimed.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    Hitting back, Baghel said BJP leaders must “gherao” their nine Lok Sabha MPs from the state over this “delisting” demand.

    “They (BJP) did not raise this issue when their party was in power under Raman Singh. Delisting is a matter of the Centre and the state government has no say in it. The BJP is misleading people,” Baghel said.

  • Inquiry ordered into feeding mid-day meals in school on caste basis in Uttarakhand’s Almora

    Express News Service

    DEHRADUN: The education department has come under question for putting up queues of children on the basis of caste for mid-day meal in a government school in Uttarakhand’s Almora.

    Despite all the efforts of the government and the education department, the practice of untouchability in government schools of the state has not been out of practice even today. 

    Scheduled caste children studying in a primary school in Dhauladevi block of Almora were served seperate meals and asked to sit seperately from upper caste students.

    Harish Ram, a resident of village Thali in Dhauladevi development block, reached the school the previous day to know about his child. On reaching the school, the matter came to his notice. When he objected to it and made the video, he was later called to the police station. The villagers alleged, “The policemen posted at Thana Danya had threatened to lock Harish Ram in the lockup”.

    These allegations have been made by one Mahipal Prashad, a representative of dalit community on behalf of the students. After the video went viral in, the parents submitted a memorandum to the SDM Gopal Singh Chauhan on Monday demanding strict action.

    SDM Chauhan told The New Indian Express , “Bhaloni Tehsildar Barkha Jalal has been appointed as the investigating officer, who will submit her report after an on-the-spot investigation of the case by Wednesday evening”.

    There have been allegations that children from the Dalit community were made to sit separately from upper caste children while eating mid-day meal in a primary school. After this whole matter came to light, there was a stir in the district administration and education department.

    DEHRADUN: The education department has come under question for putting up queues of children on the basis of caste for mid-day meal in a government school in Uttarakhand’s Almora.

    Despite all the efforts of the government and the education department, the practice of untouchability in government schools of the state has not been out of practice even today. 

    Scheduled caste children studying in a primary school in Dhauladevi block of Almora were served seperate meals and asked to sit seperately from upper caste students.

    Harish Ram, a resident of village Thali in Dhauladevi development block, reached the school the previous day to know about his child. On reaching the school, the matter came to his notice. When he objected to it and made the video, he was later called to the police station. The villagers alleged, “The policemen posted at Thana Danya had threatened to lock Harish Ram in the lockup”.

    These allegations have been made by one Mahipal Prashad, a representative of dalit community on behalf of the students. After the video went viral in, the parents submitted a memorandum to the SDM Gopal Singh Chauhan on Monday demanding strict action.

    SDM Chauhan told The New Indian Express , “Bhaloni Tehsildar Barkha Jalal has been appointed as the investigating officer, who will submit her report after an on-the-spot investigation of the case by Wednesday evening”.

    There have been allegations that children from the Dalit community were made to sit separately from upper caste children while eating mid-day meal in a primary school. After this whole matter came to light, there was a stir in the district administration and education department.

  • Plea in Supreme Court challenges Centre’s new panel to examine SC status for Dalit converts

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: A plea has been filed in the Supreme Court challenging the centre’s decision to appoint a three-member commission, headed by former Chief Justice of India K G Balakrishnan which has been tasked to consider the possibility of granting Scheduled Caste (SC) status to “new persons who have historically belonged to the Scheduled Castes’’ but have converted to religions other than Hinduism, Buddhism and Sikhism.

    Justice KG Balakrishna was appointed by the centre on October 7, 2022, during the pendency of a plea in SC seeking scheduled caste status for Dalit Christian and Muslim converts. Currently, as per the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1950 only Dalits of Hindus, Sikh and Buddhist faith can be categorised as SCs.

    The pleas that are currently pending before SC argue that the exclusion of Christian and Muslim Dalits from the list of Scheduled Caste was discriminatory. Recently, the centre in the pleas had told SC that the government had taken a decision to not accept Justice Mishra’s report. Justice Ranganath Mishra Commission’s 2007 report for Religious and Linguistic Minorities had recommended permitting Dalits who converted to Islam and Christianity to avail of SC status.

    The plea challenging centre’s recent decision has been filed by practising advocate, social activist and secretary of Pragat Padhividhar Sanghatna (PPS), a social and educational Trust who said he was a Christian of Scheduled Caste origin, belonging to the Mahar community. 

    It has been argued in the plea Union government has over the years formed multiple Commissions, dating back to the first Backward Classes Commission (1955), on this subject that have already pronounced the need for according to SC status to Dalits who have converted to Islam or Christianity. 

    “The apprehension of the petitioner is that if the present commission is allowed, the hearing on the main petition may be further delayed causing irreparable damage to the Christians of Scheduled caste origin, who are denied this SC privileges for the last 72 years. It is also affecting the fundamental rights of the affected community, giving speedy justice is mandatory as per Article 21,” the plea states. 

    NEW DELHI: A plea has been filed in the Supreme Court challenging the centre’s decision to appoint a three-member commission, headed by former Chief Justice of India K G Balakrishnan which has been tasked to consider the possibility of granting Scheduled Caste (SC) status to “new persons who have historically belonged to the Scheduled Castes’’ but have converted to religions other than Hinduism, Buddhism and Sikhism.

    Justice KG Balakrishna was appointed by the centre on October 7, 2022, during the pendency of a plea in SC seeking scheduled caste status for Dalit Christian and Muslim converts. Currently, as per the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1950 only Dalits of Hindus, Sikh and Buddhist faith can be categorised as SCs.

    The pleas that are currently pending before SC argue that the exclusion of Christian and Muslim Dalits from the list of Scheduled Caste was discriminatory. Recently, the centre in the pleas had told SC that the government had taken a decision to not accept Justice Mishra’s report. Justice Ranganath Mishra Commission’s 2007 report for Religious and Linguistic Minorities had recommended permitting Dalits who converted to Islam and Christianity to avail of SC status.

    The plea challenging centre’s recent decision has been filed by practising advocate, social activist and secretary of Pragat Padhividhar Sanghatna (PPS), a social and educational Trust who said he was a Christian of Scheduled Caste origin, belonging to the Mahar community. 

    It has been argued in the plea Union government has over the years formed multiple Commissions, dating back to the first Backward Classes Commission (1955), on this subject that have already pronounced the need for according to SC status to Dalits who have converted to Islam or Christianity. 

    “The apprehension of the petitioner is that if the present commission is allowed, the hearing on the main petition may be further delayed causing irreparable damage to the Christians of Scheduled caste origin, who are denied this SC privileges for the last 72 years. It is also affecting the fundamental rights of the affected community, giving speedy justice is mandatory as per Article 21,” the plea states. 

  • Caste panel gives clean chit to ex-NCB officer Sameer Wankhede, says he is from SC community not Muslim

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: Former Mumbai zonal director of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) Sameer Wankhede, who was being probed for allegedly submitting a fake caste certificate for getting a government job, was given a clean chit by the caste scrutiny committee, an official said on Saturday.

    The order was issued by the Social Justice Department of the Maharashtra government on Friday, an official said.

    The order says that Wankhede, an Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer, was not a Muslim by birth and it has been proven that he belongs to Mahar caste, which is a Scheduled Caste (SC).

    The issue of Wankhede’s caste was raised by former Maharashtra minister and NCP leader Nawab Malik. Applications were filed by the complainants, including political leader Manoj Sansare, Ashok Kamble and Sanjay Kamble, against Wankhede.

    Mumbai district caste certificate verification committee examined the complaints and passed an order on the same on Friday.

    ALSO READ | Sameer Wankhede, former NCB officer who probed drugs-on-cruise case, transferred to Chennai

    The order says that it was not proven that Wankhede and his father Dnyandev Wankhede renounced Hinduism and duly converted to Islam.

    It is proven that Wankhede and his father-in-law belong to the Scheduled Caste that is Mahar-37, the order stated.

    Complaints filed by Nawab Malik and others regarding the caste claim of Wankhede and regarding the religion of the caste certificate are not substantiated, following which complaints are being rejected due to lack of the facts in the complaint, the order said.

    Wankhede had come to the limelight following the high-profile October 2021 raids by the NCB on a Mumbai cruise after which the agency had arrested Aryan Khan, son of actor Shah Rukh Khan, and 19 others and claimed to have seized some narcotics too. The NCB had later given a clean chit to Aryan Khan. 

    MUMBAI: Former Mumbai zonal director of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) Sameer Wankhede, who was being probed for allegedly submitting a fake caste certificate for getting a government job, was given a clean chit by the caste scrutiny committee, an official said on Saturday.

    The order was issued by the Social Justice Department of the Maharashtra government on Friday, an official said.

    The order says that Wankhede, an Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer, was not a Muslim by birth and it has been proven that he belongs to Mahar caste, which is a Scheduled Caste (SC).

    The issue of Wankhede’s caste was raised by former Maharashtra minister and NCP leader Nawab Malik. Applications were filed by the complainants, including political leader Manoj Sansare, Ashok Kamble and Sanjay Kamble, against Wankhede.

    Mumbai district caste certificate verification committee examined the complaints and passed an order on the same on Friday.

    ALSO READ | Sameer Wankhede, former NCB officer who probed drugs-on-cruise case, transferred to Chennai

    The order says that it was not proven that Wankhede and his father Dnyandev Wankhede renounced Hinduism and duly converted to Islam.

    It is proven that Wankhede and his father-in-law belong to the Scheduled Caste that is Mahar-37, the order stated.

    Complaints filed by Nawab Malik and others regarding the caste claim of Wankhede and regarding the religion of the caste certificate are not substantiated, following which complaints are being rejected due to lack of the facts in the complaint, the order said.

    Wankhede had come to the limelight following the high-profile October 2021 raids by the NCB on a Mumbai cruise after which the agency had arrested Aryan Khan, son of actor Shah Rukh Khan, and 19 others and claimed to have seized some narcotics too. The NCB had later given a clean chit to Aryan Khan. 

  • Representation of SC/ST in promotion posts inadequate in Jharkhand: Committee report

    By PTI

    RANCHI: There is inadequate representation of Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) employees in promotion posts at every level in the Jharkhand government, a report said.

    A three-member committee, constituted in Jharkhand to study promotion, administrative efficiency and representation of SCs and STs in the creamy layer under the services and posts of the government in the state, submitted its report to Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Wednesday evening.

    “The percentage of SC and ST employees in relation to the total number of employees holding posts on the basis of promotion against sanctioned promotion posts across the state is 4.45 per cent and 10.04 per cent respectively which is much less than the population ratio of SC and ST (12.08 per cent and 26.20 respectively) as per the Committee report,” Chief Minister’s office said.

    A statement from the Chief Minister’s office said according to the data, the total number of sanctioned posts in the state is 3.01 lakh in 31 major departments, of which 57,182 posts are to be filled on the basis of promotion while 2.44 lakh posts are to be filled by direct appointment.

    The committee in its report recommended: “Since the representation of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in the services of the state is far below the required level, it is necessary to continue with the present policy of reservation in promotion.

    ” At this stage, any relaxation of the existing provision or removal of any clause would not be justified or desirable and would be against the interest of the community at large, it said.

    “Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) and Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC) and Department of Personnel Administrative Reforms and Official Language also need to maintain the database of results with year wise and category wise details of how many SC, ST, OBC unreserved qualified under the category,” the committee recommended.

    A separate cell should be created under the Personnel Department for more rigorous and continuous monitoring to ensure strict adherence to the reservation policy and its provisions by all departments, it said.

    The Department of Personnel, Administrative Reforms and Official Language must publish annual reports on recruitments, promotions and other related information, it added.

    The Supreme Court on October 5 had asked the Centre as to what exercise it has undertaken to justify decisions to grant quota in promotions to the employees belonging to the Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) on counts such as they have inadequate representation in jobs and the reservation will not adversely impact the overall administrative efficiency.

    A three-judge bench headed by Justice L Nageswara Rao said if a judicial challenge is made to the quota in promotions to the SCs and STs in a particular cadre of a job then the government will have to justify it on grounds such as that they are inadequately represented in a particular cadre and granting quota will not adversely impact the overall administrative efficiency.

    Earlier, the top court, on September 14, said that it would not reopen its decision on granting reservation in promotions to the SCs and STs as it was for the states to decide how they implement it.

  • Channi effect: Ahead of 2022 polls, Punjab parties eyeing votes on caste lines

    Express News Service

    CHANDIGARH:  Ahead of Punjab elections, caste politics has revived in the state, especially with Charanjit Singh Channi, who belongs to a Scheduled Caste, being elevated as chief minister replacing Amarinder Singh, a Jat Sikh.

    All political parties in Punjab are focusing on Hindu, Scheduled Caste and Other Backward Classes vote bank in the upcoming state assembly elections. They are also wooing the majority of traditional Sikh votes.  

    Punjab has the highest share of SC in its population in the country at 32%. However, the politics of the state has always been dominated by the Jat Sikh community.

    But with Channi being the first SC becoming the CM, the political scenario has changed in the state.

    The Sikhs constitute 58% of the total population in the state while Hindus are 38%. The SCs, both Sikh and Hindu, are around 32% while Muslims are about 2% and Christians 1%.

    The Congress got 43% SC Hindu votes in 2017 assembly polls and 37% in 2012 while it bagged 48% non-SC Hindu votes last time and 46% in the previous election.

    As the figures show, a swing in non-SC Hindu votes could be the deciding factor in 2022 polls.

    As far as SC Sikhs are concerned, Congress bagged 41% votes in 2017 and formed the government but failed to win in 2012 despite 51% of the community voting for the party. The SAD-BJP got around 34% SC Sikh votes in 2017 while AAP bagged 23%.

    The Jat Sikhs had traditionally voted for the SAD-BJP alliance. As this alliance broke last year, political analysts say the community’s votes can be split between all parties. In 2017, 37% Jat Sikh votes went to SAD-BJP — down from 52% in 2012 — while the AAP bagged 30% vote share and the Congress 28%.

    Political analyst Professor Kuldeep Singh told this newspaper: “In Punjab, caste politics is not as strong as in other states. But after Channi became the CM, it has been highlighted. The Jat Sikhs traditionally vote for the SAD. But this time, due to the sacrilege issue and farmer stir, the Akalis will get less votes from this community. The Hindu votes are likely to be divided between all parties.’’

    Sources say the Congress is worried that if Amarinder floats his political party and has a seat-sharing agreement with BJP, then it will find it difficult to get Hindu and urban votes.

    Amarinder is playing the nationalism card, supporting the BJP over the move to expand the BSF jurisdiction from 15km to 50km and raking up the old issue of Navjot Singh Sidhu hugging Pakistan army chief.

  • Not going to reopen decision on grant of reservation in promotion to SCs and STs: Supreme Court

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Tuesday said it would not reopen its decision on granting reservation in promotions to Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) as it was for the states to decide how they implement it.

    Taking up various pleas pertaining to alleged hurdles in granting reservation in promotions to SCs and STs in various states, a three-judge bench headed by Justice Nageswara Rao directed the Advocate on Records of state governments to identify issues peculiar to them and submit those within two weeks.

    “We are making it very clear that we are not going to reopen Nagraj or Jarnail Singh (cases) because the idea was only to decide these cases in accordance with the law laid down by the court,” said the bench, also comprising Justices Sanjiv Khannna and BR Gavai.

    The top court noted that in its earlier order, the state governments were directed to finalise the issues which are peculiar to them so that court can proceed in the matter. It said that the issues framed by the Attorney General KK Venugopal and the ones circulated by others are enhancing the scope of cases.

    “We are not willing to do that. There are certain issues which are already decided in Nagraj that also we are not going to take up. We are very clear that we are not going to permit any arguments for reopening of cases or arguing that law laid down from Indira Sawhney is wrong because the very scope of these cases is to apply the law as laid down by this court,” the court said.

    Venugopal submitted before the apex court that nearly all these issues have been covered by judgements of the top court and he would give a background of all the cases on issue of reservation since the Indira Sawhney case.

    Senior advocate Indira Jaising contended that the issue which remains open is benchmarks for adequacy on how a state will decide on which groups are backwards. “It is not a question of disputed facts any more. In some cases HCs have struck down on the ground that backwardness has not been shown. How any state will establish that representation is adequate and in that sense there will have to be benchmarks for adequacy which will require detailed consideration,” she said.

    Responding to the submission, the bench said, “We are not here to advise the government what they should do. It’s not for us to tell the government how to implement policy. It has been specifically held as to how the states have to implement it and consider backwardness and representation. States have to decide what to do subject to judicial review.”

    Senior advocate Rajeev Dhavan said he does not want to get into the question of representation as Indira Sawhney judgment is clear that it’s not proportionate representation. “In the Madhya Pradesh case it’s very that you cannot rely on the census. This is not the first time that a large batch of cases has come. In each case let written submission be given to the court. The State of Maharashtra says we have set up a committee to decide on ‘adequacy of representation’. Why was this not done earlier? As far as the principles are concerned they were enumerated in the Nagraj judgment,” he said.

    The Attorney General said the problem of Union of India is that there are three interim HC orders passed out which two say that promotions can continue to be made, while one HC has issued status quo orders on promotions.

    “The Government of India has 1,400 posts (secretariat level) stagnating where no promotions could be made on a regular basis because all three orders dealt with regular promotions. The issue is whether the promotions for regular appointments can be continued to be made, and whether it affects the reserved seats,” he said.

    “There are another 2,500 posts stagnating for years due to status quo orders relating to regular promotions. Government wants to make those promotions on ad hoc basis without any rights,” Venugopal said while seeking a stay on a contempt plea against the government official.

    Senior advocate Meenakshi Arora said if the matter is being kept after two weeks then the contempt plea can be heard on that date. Senior advocate PS Patwalia, appearing for Maharashtra and Bihar, said the court will have to examine how you arrive at what is the quantifiable data, adding that 60 per cent posts are lying vacant in Bihar.

    The top court said it has already passed orders on how to consider backwardness and it cannot prescribe policy further. The top court then ordered, “Pursuant to earlier orders passed by this court, AG has circulated a note on the issues that arise for consideration in these matters.”

    Issues identified by the states of Maharashtra and Tripura were also placed before this court. Issues have been given separately to AG by Sr Lawyer Indira Jaising and Rajeev Dhavan.

    The AG submitted that there is no need for reopening the law laid down by this court. “In respect of interpretation of Article 16 and 16(4)(a) it is submitted that judgment delivered by this court would clear all issues which arise for consideration. It has been brought to our notice that issues peculiar to states can be grouped in 11 categories. There is an order already on order passed by this court that states have to identify the issues which arise in each state and furnish a copy to AG,” he said.

    The bench directed the AoRs of state governments to identify issues peculiar to the states and submit the same before this court in two weeks from today. It directed the counsels to submit written notes not exceeding five pages citing judgments within two weeks and posted the matter for hearing on October 5.

    Earlier, Maharashtra and other states had said the promotions have been made in unreserved categories, but promotions have not been granted in reserved categories for SC and ST employees.

    In 2018, a five-judge Constitution bench had paved the way for grant of quota for promotions in the government jobs to SCs and STs, holding that the states were not required to “collect quantifiable data” reflecting the backwardness among these communities. The apex court said that there was no need to revisit its 2006 verdict in the M Nagaraj case on the issue.

    It had held however that the conclusion arrived at in the Nagaraj case that the states have to collect quantifiable data showing backwardness of SCs and STs was “contrary” to the nine-judge bench judgement in the Indra Sawhney verdict of 1992, popularly known as Mandal Commission case.

    “Thus, we conclude that the judgment in Nagaraj does not need to be referred to a seven judge bench. However, the conclusion in Nagaraj that the state has to collect quantifiable data showing backwardness of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes, being contrary to the nine-judge bench in Indra Sawhney, is held to be invalid to this extent,” the bench had held.

  • Punjab government waives loans worth Rs 41.48 crore of over 10,000 SC youths

    By PTI

    CHANDIGARH: The Punjab government has waived loans worth Rs 41.48 crore of 10,151 Scheduled Caste youths after they found it difficult to repay the money due to various reasons, including circumstances arising out of the COVID-19 pandemic, state minister Sadhu Singh Dharmsot said on Sunday.

    “This pro-people move by the state government has given a big relief to the SC youth,” a state government statement quoted Dharmsot as saying.

    The minister for social justice, empowerment and minorities said the Punjab government has decided to waive up to Rs 50,000 for all kinds of loans taken by SC youths for self-employment from the Scheduled Castes Development and Finance Corporation.

    Dharmsot said these loans are given by the corporation to SCs and persons with disabilities at low interest rates. He said the SC youths of the state were finding it difficult to repay the loans taken for self-employment “due to failure of trade, death of beneficiary, no earner at home and circumstances arising out of COVID-19”.

    The minister said it was decided to waive the loans of the youth to get them out of this problem.

  • Gujarat High Court calls GPSC decision on Scheduled Caste woman’s appointment ‘illegal, perverse’

    By PTI

    AHMEDABAD: The Gujarat High Court on Monday called “illegal and perverse” the decision of the state public service commission to deny a Scheduled Caste woman candidate appointment as per her first preference despite not availing the benefits of reservation and securing 43rd rank in a 2019 competitive exam after appearing in the general category.

    The petitioner moved the High Court after Gujarat Public Service Commission (GPSC) recommended her for the post of assistant commissioner of sales tax, which was her 3rd preference, while recommending a woman from the general category, who got 110th rank, to the post of deputy superintendent of police, which was the first preference of the petitioner.

    Justice AS Supehia directed GPSC to issue an appointment order to the petitioner for the post of DySP, while relying on a recent HC order which stated that all women, irrespective of which category they belong, are entitled to compete for posts reserved for women under the general category.

    The GPSC said petitioner Roshni Solanki was not granted her first choice on the ground that she had availed the benefit of relaxation in age/cut-off marks in preliminary or main written exam as per a government resolution dated July 23, 2004.

    The court, in its order, however, said, “The aforesaid reason is absolutely ill-conceived, since there was no need for the petitioner to claim reservation since she was already satisfying the criteria of general category women candidate. The respondents have not produced any material on record to show the petitioner had sought reservation. Hence, the reason for which she was denied the appointment as per her first preference is illegal and perverse.”

    Solanki’s petitioner Chetan Pandya said she was 33 years old and, hence, did not avail of any age relaxation under the reservation for SC candidates.

    Further, she secured 477.75 marks in the main written exam, whereas the cut-off for general female candidate was 442.50, so there was no question of availing relaxation in cut-off marks either, he added.

    The HC said the government resolution (GR), dated July 23, 2004, does not apply to the petitioner as she did not avail any relaxation being a member of a Scheduled Caste or women candidate of reserved category.

  • Academics write to president Ram Nath Kovind over violence on SC members in Bengal

    By Express News Service
    KOLKATA:  A group of 115 academicians on Thursday appealed to President Ram Nath Kovind to intervene “urgently to save the members of the Scheduled Caste who have fled from West Bengal after the conclusion of the Assembly elections”. 

    The letter claimed that hundreds of such people have fled to other states, including Assam, Odisha and Jharkhand, fearing post-violence.

    “With the result declaration of the West Bengal Assembly elections on May 2 more than 11,000 and most of them belonging to scheduled castes and scheduled tribes have been rendered homeless and over 40,000 of such people have been affected in 1626 incidents of brutal attacks,” read the letter addressed to the President. 

    “The state-sponsored activists of Trinamool Congress in collaboration with the state police have targeted the SC/ST community and spread the violence of killing, looting, raping, and occupying their land. The SC & ST community being the sufferer of this brutal violence needs an assurance of rebuilding and resettling their plundered houses,” the letter alleged.