Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) president Mayawati today attacked the Uttar Pradesh government for its recent decision to allow dalits to sell their land holding to non-dalits.
She termed the decision as anti-dalit, casteist and a deep conspiracy to render dalits as landless in the state. She claimed now land mafia and "anti-social elements" of the ruling Samajwadi Party would try to grab the land owned by dalits.
UP cabinet meeting on August 4 chaired by chief minister Akhilesh Yadav had approved the proposal to amend relevant sections of Uttar Pradesh Zamindari Abolition and Land Reforms Act 1950, which barred Scheduled Castes (SC) from selling off their land to non-dalits.
In a press communique here, Mayawati hinted the BSP government, when it comes to power, would trash the proposed amendment along with other similar decisions taken by the ruling dispensation.
Besides, BSP would fiercely oppose the Bill in the UP assembly during the forthcoming monsoon session of the legislature beginning August 14.
She said the dalits, who remained landless for centuries, could get small pieces of land for livelihood owing to the undying efforts of Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar.
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However, the SP government is bent on snatching even that piece of land from dalits due to its castiest mentality and "venomous policy," the former UP chief minister noted.
By giving nod to amending Section 157A of the Act, the state government had purportedly extended relief to dalits in villages. Now, they would not be required to take permission from the district magistrate (DM) before selling their land to non-dalits.
Under the existing provisions, the DMs could allow the sale of land only if the concerned dalit owned more than 1.26 hectares of land and would retain as much land even after selling it.
According to the government, there were instances where dalits, who were in dire need of money and wanted to sell their land, could not dispose it off to non-dalits. Consequently, such people could only sell their land to another dalit at non-competitive prices or get loan from moneylenders at exorbitant rates.