BHOPAL: Just around three months before Madhya Pradesh goes for Assembly elections, opposition to the recent passage of a Bill in Parliament to restore the original SC/ST Atrocity law is gathering momentum on ground zero.
The protests doesn't seem confined to the general category people, but are slowly finding support of the Other Backward Class (OBC) population also. Both the segments form around 65 per cent of MP’s 4.94 crore-plus electorate base.
The protests started a week ago from Aankli Village in Jawad constituency in West MP's Neemuch district, where general category voters have joined OBC voters in protesting the passage of the Bill which restores the original SC/ST law by reversing the March 2018 Supreme Court judgment on preventing misuse of the original law.
"It's our appeal to all political parties, particularly the ruling BJP and the principal opposition Congress, to not waste their time in soliciting our support for them in the next Assembly polls. We'll not boycott the festival of democracy, but will vote in large numbers by pressing the NOTA button, as all the political parties have betrayed the cause of general and OBC category by ensuring in the Parliament, the smooth passage of a Bill which is aimed at gross injustice to us and our future generations," said Krishnapal Singh Panwar, a young resident of the village.
Citing numbers, Panwar said the OBC and General Category voters, who form around 72 per cent voters in Jawad Assembly seat, will ensure that none of the candidates, including Congress and BJP get their votes.
Similar protests have also been reported from Dr Ambedkar Nagar-Mhow Assembly seat of Indore district, which is represented presently by BJP national general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya.
Importantly, Mhow is the birthplace of Dalit icon and founding father of country's constitution Dr BR Ambedkar.