Author: Noor Khan
Publication: Samaylive.com
Date: August 26, 2009
URL: http://www.samaylive.com/news/bjp-decries-resolution-bestowing-sc-status-on-dalit-christians/651134.html
Bharatiya Janata Party has threatened to launch
an agitation against the resolution passed in the Andhra assembly which urged
the centre to confer Scheduled Caste (SC) status on Dalit Christians across
the country.
BJP Andhra Pradesh unit today said that the
state government's move was against the constitution.
The state assembly yesterday adopted a resolution
moved by Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhar Reddy requesting the centre to amend
the constitution to extend scheduled caste status to Dalit Christians in the
country so that they can enjoy the same political rights and socio-economic
and educational benefits as other SCs.
Speaking to reporters here, BJP state President
and former union minister Bandaru Dattatreya alleged that the ruling Congress
government wanted to extend the facilities to those who converted to Christianity.
Dattatreya said Supreme Court had observed
in 1986 that the facilities extended under the constitution to SCs could not
be extended to those who converted to Christianity.
The move of Y S Rajasekhar Reddy's government
would deprive the scheduled caste people from their legitimate rights provided
in the constitution. The decision of Y S Rajasekhar Reddy is nothing but a
vote bank politics.
