New Delhi, March 24 (IANS) The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders, on Tuesday, welcomed the Supreme Court’s order that a person, who has converted to Christianity and continues to profess and practice the faith cannot claim the status of a Scheduled Caste.
A Bench of Justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and N.V. Anjaria said that “no person who professes a religion other than Hinduism, Sikhism or Buddhism can be regarded as a member of the Scheduled Caste”, adding that conversion to any other religion results in the “immediate and complete loss” of such status.
Kerala BJP President Rajeev Chandrasekhar termed the verdict as “reasonable”.
He told IANS,” Very reasonable, common sensical thing that we can all easily agree with because reservations are meant for those who have been deprived of opportunities for several centuries. The OBC (Other Backward Classes), ST (Scheduled Tribe) and SC (Scheduled Caste).”
“But the moment you move from SC or ST and become some other religion, it is clear that you should not get the SC or ST benefits. You cannot be SC or ST and also not be of Hindu faith,” Chandrsekhar said.
BJP MP Manan Mishra echoed similar view.
He said: “The Supreme Court has taken the correct decision otherwise people were misusing it (reservation). Even after converting to other religion people used to avail benefits made for the Scheduled Caste, including reservation, which was not right. I hope everybody will accept this verdict.”
Celebrating the apex court’s order, Dalit leader Lalla Babu Dravid distributed sweets in Uttar Pradesh’s Moradabad.
He told IANS, “Supreme Court has taken a big decision today. We had waited for years for this. People used to covert into Christianity and other religions and took away our rights. That is why Supreme Court has given its decision today. If anyone converts into other religion (except Hinduism, Sikhism or Buddhism) will not get the benefits of the Dalits. The entire Dalit community welcomes this verdict.”
Meanwhile, Opposition leaders, while saying that “religious conversion is a personal choice”, said that no one should get reservation “on the basis of religion”.
Samajwadi Party MP Virendra Singh told IANS, “Religious conversion is one’s personal choice. No one should have any problem with it.”
Addressing reporters outside the Parliament, Shiv Sena-UBT MP Arvind Sawant, said, “Every religion may have some people from backward communities. But people should not get reservation on the basis of religion.”
Citing the example of Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray, Sawant said, “Babasaheb Thackery used to say that he believes in only two religions, rich and poor. According to him, the poor may belong to any religion or caste, each of them needs to be uplifted in the society, whether in the field of education or employment, they should be given priority.”
Congress leader Pratap Singh Khachariyawas said, “Supreme Court has issued its verdict and the Indian government should clearly express its opinion on it. Whatever is bound by law will have to be acceptable by all. Now the Indian government should clear its stand.”
–IANS
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