Fresh ally trouble for BJP, LJP serves ultimatum on Modi govt over SC/ST Act

New Delhi: Continuing to exert pressure on the government for strengthening the Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and removal of National Green Tribunal Chief, Lok Janshakti Party (LJP), on Friday said if that is not done, its Dalit Sena will participate in the nation-wide protest planned by Dalits on August 9.

Many people see in this move pressure tactic by a junior coalition partner of the BJP in Bihar for higher seat allocation in 2019 elections. LJP Chief Ram Vilas Paswan is the Minister for Food and Public Distribution in the National Democratic Alliance government.

Addressing a press conference here, Chirag Paswan, MP and chairman of the LJP Parliamentary Board reiterated the “concern” the party felt about the “wrong message” sent by the appointment of Justice (retd) AK Goel as the Chairman of the National Green Tribunal after his retirement earlier this month.

He was one of the judges who ruled against the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act which, according to the party, diluted it.

Speaking on the occasion, Chief of the Dalit Sena wing and Lok Sabha MP Ramchandra Paswan warned about the Sena joining the agitation of August 9 which he said will be wider and more  fierce than the one April 2.

Asked by the UNI as to who was spearhead the proposed agitation, Mr Chirag Paswan said “it is the people”.

However, there was a meeting of the All-India Ambedkar Mahasabha, a Dalit rights organisation, recently at Mr. Ram Vilas Paswan’s  house after which the Minister had shot off a letter to Home Minister Rajnath Singh in this regard.

On July 24, Mr Chirag Paswan too wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking removal of Mr Goel and an early end to the monsoon session of Parliament so that the government could bring an Ordinance to strengthen the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. (UNI)