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Madhya Pradesh, Politics

Assembly election 2018: How the rising Third Force was demolished in Madhya Pradesh

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Bhopal: Madhya Pradesh has registered a record polling of about 75% in the general election for the State Assembly.

The main opposition Congress is seeing the rise in voting percentage in the central Indian State of Madhya Pradesh as a vote for change and is optimistic that this time the ruling Bharatiya Janata party would be voted out of power after three consecutive victories since 2003.

It is noteworthy that despite charges of corruption and the massive Vyapam scam, and the anti-incumbency factor, the main Opposition Congress failed to build a wave against the BJP.  Still it is hoping to form the next government in MP. The BJP mandarins are also keeping their fingers crossed and their mood is upbeat by media reports that the BJP would still be able to cobble up a majority with outside support if it fails to get a majority.

When the election results would be announced on December 11, there will be no victors but only survivors because the Third Force that had gained ground on the issue of caste-based reservation and the Atrocities Act and had the potential to leave a phenomenal impact on the Madhya Pradesh Assembly election got crushed at the very outset by the machinations of a motley crowd of power-hungry opportunist elements. – Lalit Shastri

Riding an upsurge of anger over the amendment to the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act, and the widespread opposition to the caste-based quota system, the third force was raising its head in the State. It was a perfect recipe for the third force to leave an impact on the electoral politics of Madhya Pradesh, especially during the current round of elections.

Unfortunately, a couple of ex-Babu’s (retired promotee IAS officers), apparently  did everything to hijack and take political mileage out of the Sapaks Movement that was built entirely at the initiative of Lalit Shastri, the founder President of Sapaks Samaj (Samanya Pichda Alpsankhyayan Kalyan Samaj). It is a citizens’ organisation opposed to the caste-based quota system and the latest amendment to the SC/ST Atrocities Act. The Sapaks Movement was built by Shastri from scratch with plenty of ground work.  When general elections to the State Assembly were round the corner, the opportunist elements, who had joined the Sapaks organisation very recently, got together, cobbled up a political party and named it as Sapaks Party – obviously to give the impression that the Sapaks Movement and the political party with the same name were a single entity. How the voters have viewed this machination would be revealed during the counting of votes on 11 December 2018.

Another player, who also entered the electoral scene during the penultimate stage coinciding with the announcement of the Assembly elections was the much hyped kathavachak Devkinandan Thakur. He landed in Bhopal with a hurriedly stitched up contraption called the Sarv Samaj Kalyan Party (SSKP) and spearheaded a full round of exercise with all kinds of parties that had sprung up mushroom-like on election eve to oppose the quota system.  Devkinandan’s stated goal was to bring the political parties opposed to the Atrocities Act under “one umbrella and a single election symbol”. This proved a damp squib and the unity move met with a stalemate as Sapaks Party, even before it got registered, kept repeating with a jarring note that it was fielding candidates in all 230 constituencies of Madhya Pradesh. It is entirely a different story, how this party took a u-turn in the end and was ready for all kinds of alliances when nominations were already being filed. By now it was too late to impress the discerning citizens. The lid was off when midway during the election process, a couple of candidates representing the Sapaks Party and SSKP  extended support to the BJP and rebel BJP candidates and withdrew from the electoral race. By now it was clear that the Movement that had been built against reservation in Madhya Pradesh was in quandary and total disarray.

India, Madhya Pradesh

Prevention of Atrocities Act & quota system: BJP and Congress are facing the heat in Madhya Pradesh

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Bhopal:  Ahead of the Assembly election in Madhya Pradesh, the anti-reservation movement led by SAPAKS (Samanya Pichda Alpsankhayak Kalyan Samaj) has intensified and there is also widespread anger in a large section of the people, especially among the youth, due to the amendment to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act at the initiative of the BJP led NDA Government and brazen support of political parties of all hues.

Those from the unreserved category, cutting across religious and caste lines , are already angry because of the discriminatory provision for reservation that too for the SCs and STs in the creamy layer. The Madhya Pradesh Government officers and employees have been up in arms under the banner of SAPAKS (Samanya Pichda Alpsankhyak Adhikari karmchari Sanshta) after the Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had gone on the offensive following the Jabalpur High Court order on 30 April 2016 declaring the State Government provision for Reservation in Promotion for SCs and STs. At his behest, the State Government not only went in appeal to the Supreme Court against the High Court order but also did everything to delay the proceedings in this matter.

SAPAKS SAMAJ founder President Lalit Shastri wearing the popular “Hum hain Mai ke Lal” cap

After the High Court judgement against reservation in promotion, the Chief Minister was quick in declaring that the State Government was ready to pay any fees to the Supreme Court advocates engaged by the State and also the officers and employees belonging to the SC/ST category. Chouhan has continued to remain a target of strong criticism on this count and also because he went to the extent of publicly daring the citizens by saying “Koi Mai ka Lal Arakshan Samapt Nahi Kar sakta) (no mother’s true son can abolish reservation). SAPAKS members have responded to the challenge thrown by the Chief Minister by wearing caps that carry the slogan “Hum hain Mai ke Lal” ( I am the true son of my mother)

The declaration by SAPAKS that it would be fielding candidates in all the 230 Assembly constituencies in the general elections to the Madhya Pradesh Assembly and the widespread anger and resentment that has spread across the State, is causing sleepless nights for those in the ruling BJP as well as in the main Opposition Congress party that was seeing the coming State Assembly election as an opportunity to return to power after 15 years in exile.

On Sunday night (2 September 2018), at about 9.30 pm, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s Jan-Ashirwad Yatra (procession) was attacked by an angry mob at Churhat in Sidhi district.

According to reports received here, protesters started pelting stones when Chouhan’s Yatra reached Churhat. The Chief Minister’s decked up Van, also called Rath (chariot), was hit and the driver’s window was damaged.

A day earlier, also on Saturday (1 August 2018), angry protesters raised slogans during Chouhan’s vote garnering Yatra.

Union Minister Thavarchand Gehlot and senior Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia had to be escorted out by the police through the back door of the Guna Circuit House to escape the wrath of angry youth. The protesters were there to lodge protest and show their anger against the SC/ST Act.

Minister of State for External Affairs MJ Akbar was gheraod (encircled) by slogan shouting supporters of SAPAKS in the Vidisha Circuit House on Saturday. They gave him a memorandum demanding that the draconian Prevention of Atrocities Act be withdrawn immediately.The same day in Bhind, BJP MP Bhagirath Prasad and in Morena State Minister Rustam Singh faced angry protesters who blocked their cars and raised slogans against the SC/ST Atrocities Act and the Modi Government at the Centre.

On Friday (31 August 2018), Scindia and BJP national Vice President Prabhat Jha were shown black flags in Gwalior district.

The Supreme Court had passed an order recently stating that for persons accused of committing an offence under the Prevention of Atrocities Act, approval of the Senior Superintendent of Police will be mandatory before any arrest.

In sharp contrast, the CrPC categorically defines the powers of arrest by police officers and what has been re-established in the case of complainants belonging to the SC/ST category by amending the SC/ST Atrocities Act in gross disregard of the Supreme Court order is discriminatory and strikes at the root of the fundamental rights guaranteed by the Constitution

Whereas, merely a complaint lodged by an SC or ST person can lead to arrest without investigation, a police officer  can arrest without a warrant under Sections 41, 42, 151 CrPC, only in the following conditions:

  • Who has been concerned in any cognizable offence or
  • Who has in possession, without, lawful excuse, of any house breaking weapon or
  • Who has been proclaimed as an offender either under CrPC or by order of the State Govt. or
    Who is in possession of any stolen property or
  • Who obstructs a police officer while in the execution of his duty or who has escaped, or attempts to escape, from lawful custody or
  • Who is reasonably suspected of being a deserter from any of the Armed forces of the Union or
    Who has been concerned in any law relating to extradition or
  • Who, being a released convict commits a breach of any rule made under sub-section (5) of Section 356 CrPC or
  • For whose arrest any requisition has been received from another police officer specifying the person to be arrested and the offence and other cause for which the arrest is to be made
India, Madhya Pradesh

“Reservation in promotion for SCs and STs is against fundamental right to equality”

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New Delhi: The five-Judge Constitution Bench of Supreme Court of India hearing arguments linked with the 2006 apex court judgment in the M Nagaraj case was told by senior advocate Rajeev Dhawan during the hearing in this matter today that the ordinary citizens belonging to the Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) category cannot be compared with those from the same category who have already secured government jobs.

Dhawan is representing in Supreme Court the Madhya Pradesh government officers and employees from the general, OBC and minority communities, who are suffering due to the reservation in promotion rule, and SAPAKS (a registered society formed by the Madhya Pradesh government employees belonging to the general, backward and minority category). The BJP Government in Madhya Pradesh has challenged the Jabalpur High Court order of 30 April 2017 which declared as null and void the 2002 Rule which provides for Reservation in Promotion for the SC and ST officers and employees. The outcome of the case now before the Constitution bench will have a direct bearing on the Madhya Pradesh rule for reservation in promotion.

Continuing his argument, Dhawan underscored the point before the Constitution Bench that a government employee cannot consider himself as backward only if he/she belongs to the SC/ST category. After taking the full benefit of reservation, when someone from the SC/ST category secures a government job, that person should be treated at par with all others, he pointed out adding hence only when the conditions specified for backwardness by the Supreme Court in the M Nagaraj case are fulfilled, one should be entitled for more benefits. Under no circumstances, a government employee should cite social inequality as reason to claim any special benefit, Dhawan emphasised. He also went on to observe that no officer or employee should use for his own benefit the discrimination and injustice being done to the commoners from the SC/ST category. This is against the Fundamantal Right to equality as guaranteed under Articles 14, 15 and 16 of the Constitution, Dhawan told the Bench.

Representing the respondents, Rakesh Dwivedi focused attention on Article 16(4A) of the Constitution which does not prevent the State from making any provision for reservation in matters of promotion, with consequential seniority, to any class or classes of posts in the services under the State in favor of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes with the condition that the state has to ensure while granting such promotion that in the opinion of the State, the beneficiaries of such promotion are not adequately represented in the services under the State. Hence, he pointed out that the argument that it is not necessary to examine the backwardness of SCs and STs as in the case of other backward classes, lacks any basis and is not the correct position.

Hearing in this case will continue on Thursday (30 August 2018).

 

Madhya Pradesh

SAPAKS launches signature drive against reservation on caste lines

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Founder President of SAPAKS Samaj (Samanya Pichda Alpsankhyak Kalyan Samaj) Lalit Shastri (seated 4th from Laft) and Hiralal Trivedi (extreme left), a patron member of this body, along with others are  seen launching the State-wide signature drive against reservation on caste lines at Hoshangabad on 14 July 2018.  On this occasion, Lalit Shastri addressed the gathering.

 

Bhopal: SAPAKS Samaj and SAPAKS Sangathan (association of government officers and employees) today launched a State-wide signature drive against reservation on caste lines, reservation in promotions, Atrocities Act, and other related and burning issues.

The SAPAKS target is to collect 10 million signatures on the issue of reservation in the next one month. These would be given to the President of India on Independence Day 15 August.

A major event was held at the SAPAKS headquarters in the State capital for launching the signature drive. The founder members of SAPAKS Sangathan were especially present on this occasion.

Besdies Lalit Shastri, the founder President of SAPAKS Samaj, Patron member Hiralal Trivedi and Veena Ghanekar, both retired IAS officers were present at the launch of the the signature drive at Hoshangabad and Sehore district headquarters on Saturday.

Coinciding with the signature drive, SAPAKS has gone into the overdrive mode to enroll hundreds of thousand new members. Significantly, SAPAKS Samaj has recently announced that it would be fielding it’s candidates in all the 230 constituencies in the general election for the State Assembly later this year.