Bhopal, July 7 (IANS) Madhya Pradesh Minister of State Pratima Bagri on Tuesday rejected allegations over her Scheduled Caste (SC) certificate, asserting that she has submitted all documentary evidence before the state’s high-level caste scrutiny committee and that her caste certificate is valid.
The controversy arose after Madhya Pradesh Congress SC Department president Pradeep Ahirwar alleged that Bagri does not belong to the SC category and had obtained an SC certificate on the basis of incorrect information.
He claimed that she belongs to the Bagri Rajput community, which is not listed as a Scheduled Caste, and alleged that she contested the 2023 Assembly election from the reserved Raigaon constituency and later became a minister using an invalid caste certificate.
Ahirwar had demanded cancellation of her caste certificate, disqualification from the Assembly and her removal from the state Cabinet.
Responding to the allegations, Bagri told IANS that she appeared before the caste scrutiny committee on Monday and submitted all records supporting her claim.
She said they had a meeting yesterday and she submitted all the documents before the committee, including evidence that is more than 110 years old. After examining the records, no one could point out any irregularity, and her caste certificate is genuine.
On Monday, Bagri recorded her statement before the committee and submitted documentary evidence, including historical records and documents related to the inclusion of the Bagri community in the SC list.
Ahirwar also appeared before the panel and submitted documents challenging her caste status.
Rejecting the Congress leader’s allegations, Bagri accused him of making false claims for political reasons. She said her caste certificate is not fake and this has been proved. She said Ahirwar has made false allegations and presented incorrect facts before the media, and the truth has now come out.
Bagri also said she comes from an SC family and that all official records support her claim.
The scrutiny committee is examining the documents submitted by both sides and is expected to decide the matter after completing its inquiry.
–IANS
pd/dan