'Fooling People': OP Rajbhar Hits Out at Yogi Govt Over Inclusion of 17 MBCs in SC List

Lucknow: Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party chief Om Prakash Rajbhar has hit out at the Yogi Adityanath government in the state for issuing Scheduled Caste certificates to 17 Most Backward Classes (MBCs), accusing it of “fooling” people as the matter was still sub-judice.

A former minister in the Uttar Pradesh government, Rajbhar tweeted: “Will the UP Government clarify further on the benefits that the MBCs will get after the order issuing SC certificates to 17 MBCs. When the matter is still sub-judice in court, why is the government fooling people by issuing certificates in a way that is unconstitutional? Also, the government is opening recruitment in various departments; they should first clarify if these MBCs will get quota under MBC or SC?”

Earlier, BSP chief Mayawati had attacked the state government over the issue. “It’s a fraud with people belonging to these 17 castes as they won't receive the benefits of any of the categories. The UP government will not treat them as OBCs. They won't receive the benefits of belonging to SC as no state government can put them in or remove them from any of the categories through its orders,” Mayawati had said.

In a major setback for the Yogi Adityanath-led government on Tuesday, the Centre declared the decision by UP Government to issue Scheduled Caste certificates to 17 MBCs ‘unconstitutional’. Thawar Chand Gehlot, Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment, assured the Rajya Sabha that he would request the UP government to take back its decision since it has been declared invalid by a court of law.

The UP government had decided to implement a 2017 order of the Allahabad High Court to issue SC certificates to the 17 MBCs in the state. The government had directed district magistrates to issue SC certificates to MBCs till the high court takes a final call on the issue.

The demand for SC status to the 17 castes: Kashyap, Rajbhar, Dhivar, Bind, Kumar, Kahar, Kewat, Nishad, Bhar, Mallah, Prajapati, Dhivar, Batham, Turha, Godia, Manjul and Madhua, has now been pending for a long time.

Under Mulayam Singh Yadav, the Samajwadi Party government had first tried to implement the order in 2006. Mayawati followed by making the same effort during her regime from 2007-2012. However, the idea was vetoed by the Centre.