The controversial politician had opposed the provisions of the SC/ST Act.

Raghuraj Pratap Singh alias Raja Bhaiya, a Thakur strongman from Uttar Pradesh, said the new party he was floating would focus its campaign on opposition to what he claimed was the preferential treatment being given to Dalits.

Mr. Singh, a former minister in U.P. governments led by both the Samajwadi Party and the Bharatiya Janata Party, put up a show of strength with a rally at the Ramabai Ambedkar Grounds here on Friday. The independent MLA from Kunda in Pratapgarh aims to mobilise the upper castes by tapping anti-Dalit sentiment in a bid to widen his influence in the State.

Voicing his opposition to the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, which he asserted had been made “more complicated” by successive governments, Mr. Singh said he was only fighting for “equality” among all castes and was against discrimination.

Dalits were being “cut-off from the rest of the society” due to the differential standards being adopted in disbursing compensation to victims of heinous crimes.

Citing murder as an example, he said, “It’s not that a Dalit [family] feels more pain while a non-Dalit feels less.”

PTI adds...

The former Uttar Pradesh Minister, who now represents the Kunda Assembly constituency, said the Election Commission of India had been approached for registration of his party. He had said the party’s name will have 'Jansatta' (people’s power) as its prefix.

At the rally, Mr. Singh said governments over the years have made the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 “complex” despite the Supreme Court on March 20 providing safeguards against arrests under the law.

A Bill overturning the court order was unanimously passed by Lok Sabha on August 6, ruling out any provision for anticipatory bail for a person accused of atrocities against SCs and STs.

Provisions of now-amended SC/ST Act “draconian”

Terming the provisions of the now-amended SC/ST Act “draconian”, he said he was opposed to them. He also opposed reservation in promotion for SC/ST employees which, he said, should be based on “the basis of capability”. “This is our clear stand,” he stated.

“In the days to come, I will be labelled anti-Dalit. I want to tell you I am not anti-Dalit, I am only talking about equality. Dalits are my brothers,” he said. “All political parties are indulging in dividing society on caste and religious lines. They give diplomatic answers to crucial issues. We want brotherhood and unity.”

Mr. Singh asked why there was different standards for compensation in rape and murder cases. “For the heinous acts, there should be same compensation,” he said.

“Going by the fundamental principle of equality, whether it is a heinous crime like rape or murder, Dalits are being treated differently and given compensation by the government while the general public and the upper castes are left out,” he said.

Mr. Singh, who has faced 48 cases, has been a Minister in governments headed by Akhilesh Yadav, Kalyan Singh and Rajnath Singh.

In November 2002, the Mayawati government slapped charges under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA) against him, but in 2003, within minutes of the Mulayam Singh Yadav taking over as the Chief Minister, all charges against him were dropped.