UP govt wanted to pit Dalits against OBC brothers, alleges Bhim Army

The Bhim Army Wednesday alleged that the Uttar Pradesh government wanted to "pit Dalits against Other Backward Classes" with its "unconstitutional" decision to include 17 OBC communities in the Scheduled Castes list. The Dalit group's national vice president, Manjeet Nautiyal, said that if the government wanted to add OBC communities to the SC list, it should follow the proper procedure and increase the reservation quota for Scheduled Castes proportionally.

The decision to include 17 OBC communities in the SC list was a well-thought-out strategy of the government to provoke these two sections of society, he alleged. "We consider OBCs our brothers. They are our own. Only Dalit leaders have given due respect to OBCs. The Adityanath government is misleading and provoking both these sections of society," Nautiyal alleged.

Nautiyal said that in his opinion, Dalits won't oppose the inclusion of these 17 OBC communities in the SC list if the proper procedure is followed. "Only Parliament has the power to amend the SC list. The Uttar Pradesh government should send a proposal to the Centre which will place it in Parliament," he said.

The Uttar Pradesh government had on June 24 directed district magistrates and commissioners to issue caste certificates to the people of Kashyap, Rajbhar, Dhivar, Bind, Kumhar, Kahar, Kewat, Nishad, Bhar, Mallah, Prajapati, Dhimar, Batham, Turha, Godia, Manjhi, and Machua communities. On Tuesday, Union Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Thawar Chand Gehlot said in the Rajya Sabha that the UP government's decision to include the 17 OBC communities in the SC list is not in accordance with the Constitution and only Parliament has the power to do so.

He also asked the state government not to issue caste certificates based on the order else the matter may go to court.

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