BJP Dalit MP sees a ploy by NDA to end job quotas
LUCKNOW:A dissident Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Member of Parliament, Savitri Bai Phule, has accused the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government of a conspiracy to end reservation in jobs for and alleged that atrocities against Dalits were at an all-time high under the present regime.
Phule utilised Dalit icon and social reformer Jyotiba Phule’s birth anniversary on Wednesday to launch her scathing attack. “We demand a castewise population census should be undertaken immediately to ascertain the percentage of various castes and to allocate the job quota accordingly,” she said, and called for a special session of Parliament to debate the issue.
Significantly, a similar demand was made by Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav last Saturday. The former UP chief minister had advocated enumeration of the caste-wise break up of the population.
A socio-economic and caste census was conducted in 2011 and the initial findings were released by the Centre in 2015.
The Bahraich MP alleged the Centre remained a mute spectator to atrocities against Dalits during the ‘Bharat Bandh’ and the UP government failed to check the continuing vandalisation of BR Ambedkar’s statues. Her criticism came around the time BJP president Amit Shah was paying tribute to Jyotiba Phule at Samta Mulak Chowk in the city’s Gomti Nagar area.
“The violence unleashed during
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A population census based on caste should be undertaken immediately to ascertain percentage of various castes and to allocate the job quota SAVITRI BAI PHULE, BJP Bahraich MP
the bandh was state-sponsored and meant to divert people’s attention from real issues.
“We have decided to observe April 2 every year as ‘Bahujan Swabhiman Diwas’ in memory of those killed during the protest,” she said and demanded ~50 lakh compensation each and a job to each victims’ families.
“Our campaign and protest would continue till we get justice and rightful share in not only government jobs but also in the private sector,” she said.
The MP, however, refused to name the perpetrators of the violence and blamed the petitioner who filed the PIL on SC/ST Act.