On Monday, BSP supremo Mayawati issued an ultimatum to the Congress governments in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan to withdraw party’s support to them if they do not withdraw cases registered against ‘innocent people’ and BSP workers during last year’s Bharat Bandh called by SC groups on April 2nd.
In a press release, the BSP had said, “We demand that cases filed during the ‘Bharat band’ held on 2 April 2018 for SC/ST Act 1989 in Rajasthan & Madhya Pradesh be withdrawn. If these demands are not met, we’ll reconsider our decision to give outside support to Congress.”
Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) in a press release: We demand that cases filed during the ‘Bharat band’ held on 2 April 2018 for SC/ST Act 1989 in Rajasthan & Madhya Pradesh be withdrawn. If these demands are not met, we'll reconsider our decision to give outside support to Congress. pic.twitter.com/KCEOmzwra9
— ANI (@ANI) December 31, 2018
Justifying the warning issued to the Congress, Mayawati in the statement said, “The warning to the Congress is necessary, as now merely making announcements is not enough. People are of the view that in making promises on papers, the Congress and the BJP are two sides of the same coin. Now, it depends on the Congress whether it is able to change this perception.”
Now, a day after the ultimatum, the Congress government in Madhya Pradesh has obliged and surrendered to the demands of the BSP. The law and legislative affairs minister in the Madhya Pradesh government PC Sharma said, “Not only the cases registered against activists involved on April 2, 2018 protests, but all politically motivated cases registered by BJP regimes of last 15 years against non-BJP workers and leaders in MP will be withdrawn.” He also added that cases filed against government employees and even journalists during 15 years of the BJP rule will be revoked.
Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot seems to have agreed with the demands of Mayawati. He said, “Her demand is natural as there were cases against Dalits. After a probe one can find out whether those accused had really committed a crime. Sometimes innocents also get booked. Law must be implemented.”
On April 2, 2018, the nation witnessed violent protests by Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes, supported by the non-BJP parties following the decision of apex court to dilute some provisions of the SC/ST act in order to prevent its misuse. The protests were more violent in the BJP ruled states especially in Gwalior- Chambal region of MP and adjoining Rajasthan.
The Congress party seems to be setting up a very dangerous precedent by announcing the withdrawal of cases against the unsocial elements of the society for some political gains. Political parties have no right to classify a case as political and revoke as per their whims and fancies. If it is the CM’s job to withdraw cases then why we need courts, elect a CM and let him/her decide the verdict of all the cases. It seems that it is the beginning of the chaotic rule in the Congress-ruled states.
Mayawati has blackmailed the Congress party and she has been quite successful in getting results. She is aware of the fact that the Congress would find it extremely hard to survive in MP without BSP’s support. The Congress party won 114 seats in Madhya Pradesh, two seats short of the majority mark. It managed to form the government in the state only after four independent MLAs, two MLAs of BSP and one MLA of the SP. extended support to the Congress party.