Aggressive agitation on August 9 if SC/ST Act not restored, warns Chirag Paswan

New Delhi: In a warning to the Central government, Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) MP Chirag Paswan on Friday said "we wanted Centre to bring an ordinance about SC/ST Act. But it couldn't be done now so we've asked Centre to reintroduce it as a bill in the Parliament on August 7 and restore the previous law". Chirag Paswan also warned that if this demand was not met then the Dalit protests on August 9 could be more aggressive than those held on April 2.

Addressing a press conference, Chirag, the son of Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan, said people from the SC and ST communities were feeling betrayed as the BJP-led NDA government had not issued an ordinance "as yet" to overturn the Supreme Court`s March 20 order that "diluted" the original SC-ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and on top of that appointed Justice A.K Goel, "who ruled against the Act", as NGT Chairman.

"We are running out of patience as no action has been taken to restore the Act as yet. On April 2, agitations were held across the country. Similar agitations have been announced by some organisations on large-scale on August 9. We want the government to bring an ordinance to restore the Act before that. Our Dalit Sena will take to the streets if it is not done," he said.

He also added that the Chairman of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) should be removed by August 9. The government`s decision to appoint retired SC judge Goel as Chairman of NGT had sent a message to these communities that the government had awarded the judge who was one of the judges of the two-member bench that 'diluted'provisions of the Act. 

"We have been asking the government to restore the provisions of the Act as soon as possible as people are sad and disappointed with the SC order. Also, Goel`s appointment as NGT Chairman is being seen as an award," Paswan said.

The Chairman of the LJP Parliamentary Board demanded the introduction of reservation in private sector jobs and placing reservation in the 9th schedule of the Constitution to counter the Opposition charge that the government was bent on ending quotas in education and government service. 

With IANS inputs