BRS demands revocation of order against SC status to Dalit Christians
Leaders from the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) joined a protest in New Delhi to demand the restoration of Scheduled Caste (SC) status for Dalit Christians. They argued that the current Presidential Order, which restricts SC status to Hindu, Buddhist, and Sikh Dalits, is discriminatory and unconstitutional.
Why it matters
The issue highlights a long-standing debate regarding religious freedom and social justice in India, specifically concerning whether affirmative action benefits should extend to marginalized groups who have converted from Hinduism.
The representatives of Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) who participated in a protest organised by the All India Dalit Christian Rights Protection Committee at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on Monday, R.S. Praveen Kumar and M. Rajiv Sagar, have termed removal of the Scheduled Caste (SC) status to the Dalit Christians as uncivilised.
Speaking at the protest, they demanded that the Centre revoke the Presidential Order on the cancellation of SC status to Dalit Christians and said it reflected discrimination against Dalit Christians even if they change their religion. They pointed out that it was in 1950 the Jawaharlal Nenru Government had got the Presidential Order issued through backdoor specifying that SC status would be given to Dalits only if they are in Hindu, Bhuddhist and Sikh religions.
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