Miffed at Centre restoring draconian provisions; Cong cashes in with its ‘Brahmin DNA’ claim

Ahead of the year-end Assembly elections in three States and general election next year, caste politics of a different kind is raising its head.

This time upper castes are joining hands with the OBC to express their resentment over the restoration of the stringent provisions of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989. While several upper castes and OBC outfits, primarily based in Madhya Pradesh, have given a Bharat bandh call on September 6, the Congress is openly playing the Brahmin card.

This is the first time in the post-Mandal era that upper castes and OBC are coming together in a big way on a caste-based issue. The political parties have kept away from the protest in view of its sensitive nature and out of the fear that it could antagonise their Dalit constituency. But at ground level, upper castes and OBC are ganging up against the Modi Government for restoring the SC/ST Act after it was diluted by the Supreme Court.

While the Congress has not come in favour of the bandh call or the upper caste and OBC protest, it is wooing the Brahmins, who are in the forefront of the ongoing movement against the SC/ST Act. A day after MP Congress president Kamal Nath promised cow shelter in each district of MP, Randeep Singh Surjewala said, “Brahmin DNA is in the Congress blood.” This comes at a time when Congress chief Rahul Gandhi is visiting Mansarovar. This is interpreted as an attempt by the Congress to play the soft “Hindutva” card, something Rahul practised successfully in Gujarat and Karnataka Assembly polls.

The MP Government has imposed Section 144 in five districts of the State ahead of the proposed nationwide bandh by several outfits to protest against the SC/ST Amendment Bill passed in Parliament last month.

The bandh call has been given by around 30-35 organisations on social media. Section 144 has been imposed in Gwalior (city), Bhind, Shivpuri, Guna and Ashok Nagar districts. On Tuesday, members of Khatriya Mahasabha, Gujjar Mahasabha, Parshuram Sena and other organisations gathered against the amendment to the atrocities Act at a Swabhiman Sammelan held in Gwalior.

However, it is Surejewala’s brazen overture to the Brahmins that gives away the Congress strategy for the upcoming polls. The Congress seems to have sensed that the Brahmins have got a raw deal under the BJP, which made Rajputs as Chief Minister of politically important Uttar Pradesh and neighbouring Uttarakhand. Similarly, while veteran Kalraj Mishra was dropped from the Council of Ministers on age criteria. So far he has not been accommodated as Governor as was being speculated. The BJP has been pushed on the defensive and several party leaders have come out in open to express their apprehensions and concerns over the repercussion of the upper caste unrest.

“It is a pity that my party did not listen to me when I said (including on Twitter) that the BJP should accept the SC verdict on the SC&ST Act, that there was no need to make immediate arrest but must do so within a week if prima facie evidence is there,” Subramanian Swamy tweeted.

Senior BJP leader and MP from Deoria Kalraj Mishra has also called for a relook at the SC/ST Act and its provisions. “It is the responsibility of all political parties, including that in power, that the provisions of the Act should be re-looked into,” he said.

Party’s MLA from Ballia Surendra Singh too joined the chorus and said, “This Act is misused to frame innocent people. If political parties are so keen to impress the Dalits then why not make a Dalit PM for next 10 years.”

BJP Rajya Sabha member from Rajasthan Harshwardhan Singh Dungarpur has called for revision of the entire reservation system and said the recent amendment of the SC/ST Act to bring back the stringent provisions has come as setback to some sections of society.

Surjewala, who attended the State-level Brahmin seminar on Monday, said, “One of my colleagues asked why is a Brahmin conference being held using Rahul Gandhi’s photo and under the Congress party flag and the Tricolour? I said that I will respond to this from this platform one day. Indian National Congress is that party, my friends, in whose blood Brahmin Samaj’s DNA is present.”

Surjewala also promised that the Congress would provide 10 per cent reservation to the poor, set up Brahmin Kalyan Board, and offer Rs 100 crore soft loan at 4 per cent interest and scholarships to needy Brahmin youths for setting up business and students to pursue higher education.

After the Modi Government restored the tough provisions of the SC/ST Act, which were quashed by the Supreme Court, political parties welcomed the decisions for obvious reasons, but social media saw angry reactions from the upper caste people. Slowly and steadily, the resentment has spread and now caste outfits are indirectly backed by Opposition parties.

In MP, the upper caste mobilisation against the BJP over the SC/ST Act has culminated in the call of Bharat bandh. The resentment among the upper castes and OBC against the SC/ST Act has seen violent protests during the last few days in Morena, Bhind, Gwalior, Mandsaur and Neemuch. The protesters have especially targeting legislators, demanding that the SC verdict should be resorted. Some upper caste supporters also threw shoes at Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan at a rally two days ago.