Shivraj govt appeals for peace as upper caste stir intensifies
BHOPAL: With the upper caste agitation against the Centre’s amendment of SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities Act) intensifying in northern Madhya Pradesh, the Shivraj Singh Chouhan cabinet on Tuesday appealed to people to maintain peace.
Massive rallies by uppercaste organisations were the focal point of discussion at Tuesday’s cabinet meeting. The administration is worried by the recent agitations by anti-quota campaigners in front of politicians of all hues – from Union MoS M J Akbar, Union minister Thawar Chand Gehlot and several senior state ministers and BJP lawmakers to Congress MP Jyotiraditya Scindia.
With the Bharat Bandh looming, the state cabinet announced on Tuesday that the BJP government always believed in “samajik samrastha (social harmony)” and made policies for the benefit of every section of society.
The government has received reports that upper caste organisations plan to intensify their protest against the Union government’s decision to pass an ordinance to reverse the Supreme Court’s ruling that eased the provision of mandatory arrest.
A senior cabinet minister acknowledged that the fear of counter-protests by Scheduled Caste organisations also haunts the government. And all this with two months to go for the assembly election. Prohibitory orders under Section 144 CrPC have been imposed in Gwalior-Chambal region.
Briefing the media, minister Narottam Mishra said, “The state cabinet has appealed to people to maintain peace. Our government is a total supporter of ‘samajik samrastha’. We have policies for the benefit of every section of societ Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas is the motto of this government and its welfare policies.”
Blaming Congress for the protests, Mishra said, “Congress cannot counter our leadership at the grassroot level, which is why it’s trying out all other methods.” Mishra said that the cabinet condemned the recent attacks on CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan in Sidhi. “BJP has never believed in violence and hence the cabinet passed a censure motion condemning the attacks on the chief minister,” he added.
