Atrocities on Dalits social problem, not political: Ramdas Athawale
Kolkata, Sep 28 : Union Minister Ramdas Athawale on Thursday said atrocity against Dalits is "not a political but a social problem" and stressed on the importance of encouraging inter-caste marriages and stringent action against the offenders to end such incidents.
Noting that Uttar Pradesh tops the chart in the country in terms of caste-related violence, followed by Rajasthan and Bihar, the Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment said it is wrong to say that such incidents have increased under the BJP regime as the attacks on Dalits are continuing for many years irrespective of which party is in power.
"There were 47,000 registered cases of such atrocities in India last year. It is not a political issue but a social issue. Taking initiatives like encouraging inter-caste marriage and higher conviction rate of the offenders can help.
"The attacks on Dalits have been happening in this country for several years. As long as there is casteism, such attacks and atrocities would continue, no matter which party is in power at the Centre," the Dalit leader from Maharashtra told reporters here.
It is not true that atrocities on the Dalits have increased in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) regime, Athawale said, adding that there were instances of attacks and violence on Dalits even during the Congress rule.
"In Bengal, Dalits faced violence during the communist rule and it is going on in Mamata Banerjee's regime also," he said.
Athawale urged the state governments to come up with initiatives like providing a grant of Rs 25 lakh to the district with highest number of inter-caste marriages and give such couples a priority in government jobs to encourage such practices.
The Minister, however, pointed out that there have been 1,708 and 609 cases of attacks on the backward classes in Bengal in 2017 and 2018, respectively, which is significantly lower than many other states.
He said the Bengal government should increase to Rs 1 lakh the grant of Rs 30,000 that it now gives to inter-caste couples after marriage.
Referring to the petitions challenging the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Act of 2018, which does away with the court-imposed requirements of undertaking preliminary inquiry and of procuring approval prior to making an arrest, he said there should be no changes to the new amendment.
"99 per cent of cases of atrocities on Dalits are legitimate. The act comes into play when there are attacks on Dalits' lives and properties. However, the authorities need to be cautious that the law is not misused. Instead of seeking changes in the act, the people should change their mindset regarding how to behave with the Dalits," he said.
The Minister, who held a meeting with the members of Matua Mahasangha, a religious reformation movement that originated from Bangladesh, said the Bengal government should pass a resolution in the state Assembly to grant citizenship rights to the community.
"We demand that the 1971 citizenship act be amended so that those who were forced to take refuge in India in search of livelihood and security are be given Indian citizenship," the Republican Party of India leader said.
"These people (Matuas) are neither terrorists nor do they have any intention to create unrest in India. They were forced to take refuge in India during the war between Pakistan and Bangladesh. So they should have the right to stay in India," he added.
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CM Siddaramaiah alleges ‘criminal conspiracy’ in Sringeri recount, vows legal action
Bengaluru (PTI): Alleging a “criminal conspiracy” by BJP candidate D N Jeevaraj in the Sringeri Assembly poll recounting, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said the outcome was manipulated after valid postal ballot votes in favour of Congress leader T D Raje Gowda were tampered with during the recounting process.
Following a Karnataka High Court order on an election petition filed by Jeevaraj, challenging Raje Gowda’s election, the reverification and recounting were conducted on Saturday.
After the reverification and recount of postal ballots for the Sringeri Assembly constituency, votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda were reduced by 255, the returning officer said.
A report on the matter has been submitted to the Election Commission of India for further action, the officer added.
Congress leader Raje Gowda had won the 2023 Assembly polls from Sringeri by 201 votes, defeating his nearest rival Jeevaraj.
Addressing a press conference in Bengaluru, Siddaramaiah said the High Court had directed the recounting of postal ballots and that irregularities were noticed during the exercise conducted on May 2.
“This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” Siddaramaiah said, alleging that valid votes cast in favour of Raje Gowda were altered after being accepted by counting agents of all parties, including Congress, BJP, and JD(S).
He claimed that during the recounting of postal ballots, 255 votes were initially accepted as valid by all agents but were later tampered with by subordinate officials.
“There is a second mark on the votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda. They had accepted these as valid votes. Subsequently, another mark was made by officials. This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” he said.
When asked who was behind the alleged conspiracy, the CM replied, “It was hatched by Jeevaraj and others. It is planned.”
Siddaramaiah further alleged that the returning officer acted improperly by declaring the result despite the presence of an Election Commission observer during the recounting.
“Immediately after the counting, the returning officer announced the result. He should not have done so; this is against the law,” he said.
He pointed out that Raje Gowda had originally won by 201 votes, but after the recounting, the BJP candidate was declared the winner by 52 votes.
“The BJP has committed a criminal act of conspiracy. This is not vote chori but vote dacoity,” he alleged.
The CM said a police complaint had already been filed by Raje Gowda’s election agent, Sudhir Kumar, and emphasised the need for electoral integrity.
“We want transparency and free and fair elections. That is what our Constitution mandates,” he added.
Stating that the government would pursue legal remedies, Siddaramaiah said, “We are preparing an appeal challenging the returning officer’s announcement in a court of law.”
Responding to a separate query on elections in other states, the CM said there appeared to be an anti-incumbency factor in West Bengal, while results in Tamil Nadu were “surprising,” adding that Vijay’s party was emerging as the largest there.
Following the victory of party candidates in Bagalkote and Davanagere South, Siddaramaiah expressed confidence about future electoral prospects in Karnataka.
“Even in 2028, we will win the Assembly elections. We will come back,” the CM said.
Siddaramaiah added that he would order a forensic examination into the alleged tampering of postal ballots.
