Dalits protest against Jan Lokpal bill

Wednesday August 24, 2011 10:46:17 PM, IANS

New Delhi: Hundreds of Dalits Wednesday gathered at India Gate and marched towards Jantar Mantar to protest the Jan Lokpal bill proposed by activist Anna Hazare and his team.

Under the banner of "Samvidhan Bachao" (Save constitution), the rally was organised by Indian Justice Party president Udit Raj.

"We won't let the Jan Lokpal bill break the constitution formed by Dr. Ambedkar. How can we trust a panel which is above the prime minister and the chief justice of India?" said Dheeraj, a businessman.

Delhi Pradesh Valmiki Sanghathan chairman Lal Chand, who also participated in the rally, said: "I want to ask Annaji when people were driven away from Maharashtra where was he? What is the guarantee that the panel will be corruption free?"

The protesters also charged the civil society of being anti-Dalit.

"Civil society is also against the Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes," said another protester.

"It's not that we are against the bill on corruption, it's precisely that none of the SC/ST members are part of the panel which is not giving any priority to the minorities," Udit Raj said.

Some people in the rally also blamed Anna Hazare, who has been fasting here over the issue since Aug 16, for planning a conspiracy along with the Bharatiya Janata Party and against the Dalits.

 

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Anna mocks Congress charge of RSS, BJP support. But in Malegaon, BJP is using hoardings to garner support for Hazare. Also, there are good number of BJP workers and hardcore RSS activists in the rallies called to support Hazare.

(Photo: ummid.com)