YSR Congress Party president Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy has criticised Telugu Desam Party president and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu for side stepping the Constitution on welfare of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
The State Government is not implementing the constitutional provisions aimed at benefiting the marginalised sections in letter and spirit, he alleged. “Mr. Naidu, known for pursuing `use and throw policy’, forgot the promises made to the SCs and the STs.
His contempt towards the downtrodden communities was evident from his reported remark that no one would like to take birth among the Scheduled Castes,” the YSRC president said.Pays tributes
Mr. Jagan was speaking after paying rich tributes to Dr.B.R. Ambedkar on the occasion of his 125{+t}{+h}birth anniversary on Thursday.
He recalled the constitutional right provided to dalits and tribals for release of funds in proportion with their population through the SC/ST sub plans. But, Mr. Naidu had mocked the Constitution by not allocating and spending adequate funds for their welfare, he alleged.
It was also mandatory for the Government to constitute a Tribes Advisory Committee for ensuring accelerated development of tribes. But the present dispensation had not set up such a panel as six out of the seven seats earmarked for tribes were won by the main Opposition.
This apart, dalits who converted to Christianity were denied caste certificates and the Chief Minister was silent on the issue.
“The socio economic status of dalits had not changed by taking to a new religion, but their interests are being harmed by the Government’s attitude,” he said.
Defections
The ruling party had made a mockery of the democratic process by engineering defections from the main Opposition and shielding the defected MLAs from disqualification.
The manner in which the ruling TDP was luring the Opposition MLAs was tantamount to insulting the Constitution, he added.
