New Delhi, Feb 12 (IANS) Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha and Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday strongly condemned “persistent caste-based discrimination” in India, citing a shocking case from Odisha where parents have boycotted an Anganwadi centre for three months because the helper-cum-cook is a Dalit woman.
Kharge described how the Anganwadi, meant to support children’s physical and cognitive development through nutrition and early education, has been effectively shut down due to caste prejudice.
“Anganwadi is supposed to be a place for the physical and cognitive growth of children,” he said, emphasising that the ongoing boycott deprives young students of their rightful nutrition and hampers their overall development.
He expressed outrage at the parents’ discriminatory attitude toward the Dalit woman worker, underscoring that children should not suffer due to adult biases.
Kharge stressed that every child has a fundamental right to receive proper nutrition under government schemes designed to combat malnutrition.
The Congress leader extended his criticism to similar incidents in other states, including Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Chandigarh, where caste discrimination has led to tragic outcomes.
He referenced cases of Madhya Pradesh, where a person urinated on a tribal labourer, a Dalit government employee who committed suicide amid alleged workplace harassment and institutional bias in Gujarat.
In Chandigarh, an ADGP (Additional Director General of Police) from the Dalit community died by suicide, with his note alleging sustained caste-based discrimination, mental harassment, and humiliation by superiors within the police force itself.
Kharge noted that such events reveal how caste prejudice permeates not just social spheres but also professional environments, undermining the dignity, career progression, and personal safety of marginalised sections.
Kharge pointed out that treating employees differently based on caste violates key constitutional provisions, including Articles 14 (equality before law), 15 (prohibition of discrimination), and 17 (abolition of untouchability).
He demanded that the government treat such cases with utmost seriousness, ensuring strict and timely action against perpetrators.
“Whenever there is a need to act in such matters, we hear excuses from the government that Dalits have been deprived,” Kharge remarked sarcastically, urging immediate intervention to uphold constitutional values and protect vulnerable communities from systemic bias.
–IANS
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