Running out of patience on Dalit issues: LJP

The unease within the NDA over Dalit issues came to the fore on Friday with key BJP ally Lok Janashakti Party (LJP) saying it was running out of patience over the Modi government’s inaction over negating the Supreme Court judgement on the Prevention of Atrocities law.

A few BJP leaders, too, had voiced their disapproval of the government’s handling of Dalit issues, particularly the apex court’s dilution of the atrocities law and handing out a post-retirement sinecure to the Supreme Court judge who co-wrote the judgement.

“Our patience is running out. We want immediate restoration of the original SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act,” Chirag Paswan, chairman of the LJP Parliamentary Board, told reporters here.

He threatened that LJP activists would join the anti-government protests on Dalit issues on August 9 if the NDA failed to restore the original law through an ordinance.

Paswan also demanded removal of Justice A K Goel — the co-author of the judgement diluting the atrocities law — from the post of chairman of the National Green Tribunal (NGT).

He said if the LJP’s demands were not met and if no decision was taken in the future, Ramvilas Paswan, the national president of the party, would take a call.

“We will cross the bridge when it comes,” Paswan said when asked whether the LJP would quit the ruling NDA if its demands were not met.

When pointed out that an ordinance could not be possible while Parliament was in session, Paswan said the government can adjourn the monsoon session on August 7, three days before schedule.

“An ordinance could be promulgated on August 8, a day before the anti-government protests are planned by Dalit rights organisations,” Paswan said.

He recalled that on April 2, Dalit organisations had held agitations across the country which also led to violence that left 12 people dead. “We hope we do not get to see similar scenes on August 9,” he said.

Paswan acknowledged that the Modi government had made the atrocities act more stringent but the Opposition has been working overtime to create an impression that the government was “anti-Dalit”.

Earlier, Ramvilas Paswan had shot off a letter to Home Minister Rajnath Singh saying that the appointment of Goel as NGT chairman had sent a “wrong message” and that several Dalit MPs were upset about it.