Outrage over caste mark on chest of police recruits in MP

dhar (Madhya Pradesh) — Newly-recruited police constables had their chests marked with their caste — SC (Scheduled Caste) or ST (Scheduled Tribe) — during a medical examination here, triggering an outcry. State Home Minister Bhupendra Singh ordered a probe on Sunday.

Dhar witnessed a police recruitment drive in the past few days, the medical tests for which are being conducted these days. To identify the recruits, the district hospital marked the ones under reservation with their caste.

Dhar Superintendent of Police Virendra Singh told IANS on Sunday there might not be any malicious intent behind it.

“The last time some mistakes happened during the recruitment. The hospital may have undertaken this method to avoid any mistake this time. However, a probe has been ordered.”

The Home Minister tweeted that a probe has been ordered into the controversy while the Communist Party of IndiaMarxist said the incident was a criminal act and demanded action against those responsible under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

Meanwhile, Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Monday attacked the RSS and BJP over the labelling of the aspirants. “The casteist mentality of the BJP government has stabbed the country on its chest. By writing SC/ST on the chest of the youth of Madhya Pradesh, it has attacked the Constitution,” he said in a tweet. —