May 01, 2018 00:00 IST
New Delhi: Rahul Gandhi and Mayawati castigated the Madhya Pradesh government on Monday over the branding of police recruits by caste, and Nationalist Congress Party MP Supriya Sule asked the Prime Minister's Office to probe the "shameful" incident.
Media reports have said that newly recruited police constables had "SC" (Scheduled Caste), "ST" (Scheduled Tribe) or "OBC" (Other Backward Classes) marked on their bare chests with felt pens during their medical examination at a government hospital in Dhar district on Saturday.
As photographs showing the branding triggered a political controversy, Rahul tweeted: "The BJP's government's casteist attitude has knifed the nation in the chest. By marking 'SC/ST' on the chests of youths in Madhya Pradesh, it has attacked the Constitution of India."
He added: "This is the BJP-RSS mindset. This same mindset used to force Dalits to hang earthen pots from their neck and tie brooms to their bodies, and banned them from entering temples. We will defeat this mindset."
He posted a picture of two young men with the labels "SC" and "ST" written on their chests. Elections to the Madhya Pradesh Assembly are due later this year.
Rahul has been more forthright in condemning caste discrimination than any other Congress president, although his party cannot disown responsibility for such practices continuing seven decades after freedom, a period the country mostly spent under Congress rule.
However, the focus in recent months has been on the rise in atrocities against the Scheduled Castes under the Narendra Modi government's watch, and on the ambiguous signals emanating from the BJP leadership.
Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati alleged that the "criminal act" was the latest example of the BJP government's "newfound love" for Dalits.
"It is extremely shameful that during police recruitment in BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh, the candidates were marked as 'SC', 'OBC', 'ST' on their chest," Sule tweeted.
Dhar superintendent of police Virendra Singh said he had ordered an inquiry by a deputy superintendent of police.
He said those conducting the medical examination process had told the police that the markings had been made because the physical requirements varied for candidates from different categories.
"However, they should have used other ways to differentiate them. This is a serious matter," Singh said.
Mayawati questioned the "silence" of senior BJP leaders, including the Prime Minister, on the matter.
"Does it suit the BJP and company, and the Prime Minister himself, to remain silent (and) not condemn such a casteist incident?" she asked.
She demanded that the officials responsible for the incident be punished and the Centre issue orders against any recurrence anywhere.
Condemning the "criminal act", Mayawati said it had resulted from a spiteful attitude towards Dalits, tribal people and backward communities.
She said the BJP needed to realise that the Dalits had a lot of self-respect and were vigilant about their interests: they would never be lured and trapped by anyone.
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