“Those who are doing this…don’t know why they are doing so”: Union MoS BL Verma on Bharat Bandh

Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], August 21 (ANI): Union Minister of State and BJP leader BL Verma said on Wednesday slammed the opposition for calling a nationwide strike, “Bharat Bandh,” in response to a recent Supreme Court ruling on SC/ST reservations. Verma stated that those participating in the strike lacked clear motives.

He said, “Those who are doing this, even they don’t know why they are doing so. The respect that SCs and STs have under PM Modi govt and he also has made clear his stand about the reservation that no one can touch reservations, but the opposition is diverting the people.”

BJP MP Dinesh Sharma also asserted that after the Supreme Court’s decision, the Centre has made it stand clear.

“Those who are talking about Bharat Bandh, I want to ask them if they follow Babasaheb Ambedkar’s constitution or not. When the SC decision came, the government has made its stand clear,” he said.

A nationwide strike, known as “Bharat Bandh,” is taking place across the country in response to a recent Supreme Court ruling on SC/ST reservations. The Reservation Bachao Sangharsh Samiti announced the Bharat Bandh as a mark of protest against the SC’s ruling on SC/ST reservations.

The Patna Police baton charged the people protesting in support of a day-long ‘Bharat Bandh’ on Wednesday against the SC’s recent judgement.

An atmosphere similar to lockdown is also being seen in Rajasthan’s Bikaner district. The people from the SC/ST community are monitoring by forming groups to make the shutdown successful. The police administration is also keeping a close watch on the area with full alertness so that no unusual incident takes place. The SC/ST people took out a procession from Kote Gate to the collector’s office.

The impact of the bandh is also being seen in Jharkhand’s capital city, Ranchi. The roads of Harmu Chowk, Kathal Mode, and Chapu Toli Chowk, have been completely blocked. The bandh supporters are protesting by burning tyres on the road.

Tight police arrangements have been made in Madhya Pradesh’s Gwalior district ahead of a protest rally called by Bahujan Samaj Party and Bhim Sena amid the ongoing protest against the Supreme Court’s recent judgement on reservations.

The apex court in a landmark ruling on August 1, ruled that states have the power to sub-classify SCs and STs and said that the authority concerned, while deciding if the class is adequately represented, must calculate adequacy based on effective and not quantitative representation.

The Supreme Court ruled by a majority judgement of 6:1, that sub-classification within the SCs and STs reservation is permissible. As many as six separate opinions were delivered in the case.