Congress today welcomed the National Commission of Scheduled Castes (NCSC) order saying amendments to panchayat acts of Rajasthan and Haryana mandating education qualifications to contest polls have "adversely impacted SCs" and urged BJP governments in both states to repeal the amendments forthwith.
"Congress Party welcomes the order of National Commission of Scheduled Castes (NCSC), wherein it has observed that the amendments to panchayat acts of Rajasthan and Haryana mandating education qualifications to contest elections have 'impacted adversely on the SCs' by depriving them of 'right to contest elections' and the 'right to vote for a candidate of their choice'.
"Congress Party urges the BJP-led Governments of Rajasthan and Haryana to repeal these amendments forthwith," Congress' chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said.
In a statement, he said the Congress Party opposed these "anti-dalit, anti-women and anti-poor" amendments from the start because they nullify the 73rd amendment which sought to include SCs in self-governance through mandatory reservation.
It also denies marginalised social groups their right to political participation in democracy and state institutions through the democratic process of elections, he said.
"The Congress Party opposed the amendments not just in the respective states but also moved an amendment to President's address in the Rajya Sabha during the budget session in March 2016 wherein it was passed with cross-party support in an act of censure to the Government - one of the only five times in the history of Parliament - despite the personal intervention of the Prime Minister," Surjewala said.
Quoting the Commission order, he said it notes that unless "universal literacy is achieved, there will always be large scale deprivation of opportunity to contest" [elections] and has recommended to the state governments to "reconsider the criteria of minimum education qualifications for the SC reserved seats".
Surjewala said the NCSC has expressed displeasure at not being consulted by state governments prior to the amendments despite Constitutional provision for mandatory consultation with the Commission (Art 338, Clause 9) on all major policy matters affecting Scheduled Castes.
The Congress leader said as per the 2011 Census, the amendments exclude 75 per cent of the rural population above the age of 20 years from contesting panchayat elections in Rajasthan and Haryana. 93 per cent and 83 per cent of SC women above the age of 20 years have been disqualified in Rajasthan and Haryana respectively.
