NEW DELHI: Bhim Army Chief Chandrashekhar Azad on Wednesday called for a Bharat Bandh on February 23 against the Supreme Court's verdict on reservation in promotions.
Azad asked leaders from the OBC to SC-ST and minority groups to participate in the shut down. He also warned that if the MPs and MLAs of the backward and Dalit classes did not support the call, there would be a demonstration in front of their houses. The Bhim Army has also demanded reservation in jobs and promotions in the private sector.
At a press conference at the Press Club of India here, Dalit leader Chandrashekhar said that the BJP government at the Centre is trying to end the reservations. Now, "save the reservation, save the constitution" and "remove the CAA, NRC, NPR, save the constitution" movements will be launched.
He said: "On February 17, people from Dalit and backward organisations will march from Mandi House to Parliament. If the central government does not reverse the decision on reservations of the Supreme Court by bringing an ordinance, then India will be closed on February 23. This will be the same kind of demonstration as was done against the earlier decision regarding the SC-ST Act".
Chandrashekhar, while advocating reservations in promotions, said that people from these castes join the IPS through reservations but they have to toil hard for promotions to become an IG or DIG because their confidential report gets marked with a red pen.
The Supreme Court while hearing a case related to Uttarakhand had said that reservation or quota is not a fundamental right in promotions.