Bhubaneswar, Dec 2
The issue of SC/ST MLAs of all parties in State planning to go on a fast-unto-death from December 6, the death anniversary of B R Ambedkar, to press for their demands, including proper implementation of reservation policy, was raised in the state Assembly today.
Congress member Prafulla Majhi raised the issue in the House during Zero Hour and demanded a statement from the Scheduled Tribe and Scheduled Caste Development Minister.
“As the SC-ST members from all the parties have united this time, we’ll intensify the agitation,” Majhi, who belongs to ST community, said.
Accusing the state government of denying constitutional rights to Dalits and tribals, BJP member Rabi Narayan Naik claimed that the communities faced negligence in all spheres of the society while the government remained a mute spectator.
“We’ll sit on a fast-unto-death agitation on the death anniversary of Dr B R Ambedkar. The State government has been adopting anti-dalit and anti-tribal attitude,” Congress member Krushna Chandra Sagaria, who also hails from ST community, alleged.
Expressing concern over the development, Leader of Opposition Narasingha Mishra of Congress urged Speaker Niranjan Pujari to give a ruling and also asked the minister to give a statement on the matter. “It is unfortunate that the government pays no heed towards the concerns of the dalit and tribal members,” he said.
Mishra also wanted to know what steps were being taken by the government to prevent the proposed hunger strike by the dalit and tribal members.
As the Speaker did not give any ruling, Congress and BJP members protested. Finally, Speaker Pujari said he would convene a meeting of the agitating MLAs in his chamber.
The decision of fast-unto-death agitation by SC/ST MLAs was announced earlier in the day also demanding a halt to the alleged rising atrocities on the communities.
