The Delhi government will form a Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in the national capital post the municipal corporation elections, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today said. The move is being seen to woo the Dalit community and sanitation workers ahead of the MCD polls on April 23. As per the figures published in the Delhi Statistical Handbook 2015, the total population of Scheduled Castes was 28,12,309 in 2011.
The Delhi government will form a Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in the national capital post the municipal corporation elections, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today said. The move is being seen to woo the Dalit community and sanitation workers ahead of the MCD polls on April 23. As per the figures published in the Delhi Statistical Handbook 2015, the total population of Scheduled Castes was 28,12,309 in 2011.
People from the SC and ST communities play a vital role in deciding the fate of any political party during elections. Kejriwal's promise comes a day after the Aam Aadmi Party received a humiliating defeat in the bypoll to the Rajouri Garden Assembly seat that had fallen vacant as its legislator had resigned to contest in the Punjab Assembly polls.
"In Delhi, there are several Commissions, but no dedicated body for the SC and ST communities. "After MCD polls, we will bring a law to form a Commission for SC and ST in order to provide justice to the people of these communities," he told reporters after paying tributes to the statue of B R Ambedkar on his 126th birth anniversary in the premises of Delhi Assembly.
To bring the new law, the AAP government will first have to table a proposal in Delhi Assembly and once it is passed by the House, the proposal will be sent to the Centre through the Lt Governor for approval.
In the bypoll result to Rajouri Garden seat announced yesterday, the AAP finished a distant third with its nominee Harjeet Singh bagging 10,243 votes though the party said it would not impact the upcoming MCD polls.
Earlier in the day, Kejriwal said the party lost the Rajouri Garden bypoll as people were unhappy over MLA Jarnail Singh leaving the seat to contest Punjab polls but stressed that this result would not impact the MCD elections.
The party's vote share declined to 13 per cent as against 47 per cent in 2015 Assembly polls.
Earlier, an Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader accused the MLAs, MPs and leaders from the Scheduled Caste communities of "letting down" their people by failing to work for their empowerment. Punjab AAP vice president Paramjit Singh Kainth said it was because of B R Ambedkar that these leaders are able to contest elections and they should introspect what they have done for Scheduled Castes (SCs).
"Leaders, who have ignored celebrating the birth anniversary of such a visionary who made it possible for the people belonging to Scheduled Castes community to contest elections, should take a deep look inside and improve," he said.
"Ambedkar was a prominent Indian jurist, economist, politician and social reformer who inspired the Dalit movement and campaigned against social discrimination against Untouchables, besides supporting the rights of women and labour class," Kainth said.
The AAP leader said Ambedkar should be celebrated as a national hero rather than only a benefactor of the downtrodden. He appealed to the SCs to bring forth individuals who "genuinely" want to work for them.
The AAP leader also wrote a letter to Kejriwal stating: “I am of the opinion that our party should appreciate and voice our gratitude for Ambedkar as April 14 marks the 126th birth anniversary of this great man. Our party, which has majority of MLAs and MPs belonging to the SC community in Punjab, has been unable to express its gratitude and appreciation for Ambedkar."
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