NEW DELHI: Union social justice minister Thawarchand Gehlot said media should stick to the constitutional term “Scheduled Castes” while referring to Dalits as there are objections to the term “Dalit” — backing the government order which has significant sections of scheduled caste civil society up in arms.Many prominent scheduled caste leaders and activists disagreed with the government, including Gehlot’s junior minister Ramdas Athavale, and said the order is unwarranted and the Centre should have sought a revision of the court ruling excising the word “Dalit”.Following a Bombay high court order, the I&B ministry issued an advisory to all private satellite channels asking them to “refrain” from using the nomenclature “Dalit”.Earlier on March 15, the social justice ministry had issued an advisory to all states that they should only use “SCs” in official communication, arguing that “Dalit” is not constitutionally recognised.The difference between the two government orders is that social justice ministry followed up on a judgement of the Madhya Pradesh HC with its mandate limited to official communication, while the I&B ministry’s advisory is to the media and popular discourse.Gehlot strongly supported the advisory, telling TOI, “There is nothing wrong with what the I&B ministry has advised. The Constitution provides for the term ‘ SC ’ and it is good that it be used. We have received a lot of objections to the use of term ‘ Dalit ’.”However, rights groups and intellectuals have come out against any shift from ‘Dalit” in popular usage. Ashok Bharti, who heads the umbrella banner of outfits which led the April 2 agitation against the dilution of SC/ST (prevention of atrocities) Act, says, “There is anger against this order everywhere. It will be opposed tooth and nail.”He said ‘Dalit’ is a perfect appellation for the community. “It has two connotations. One given by Brahmin intellectuals which means an oppressed group and the other given by the Dalit movement which implies an oppressed community fighting for equal dignity.”The News Broadcasters Standards Authority said it may consider taking legal recourse against the government advisory.