Rayalaseema Mala JAC president Ashokaratna criticises SC classification based on 2011 census, claims bias towards Madiga community. (Express Illustration)
Andhra Pradesh

Rayalaseema Dalit groups oppose SC classification in Andhra Pradesh

JAC leaders announced a large-scale protest, Mala Simha Garjana, on March 23 at Nehru Municipal Grounds, Tirupati, urging Dalit intellectuals and employees to unite.

Express News Service

TIRUPATI/ KAKINADA: Rayalaseema Mala Joint Action Committee (JAC) and other Dalit organisations have accused the Central and State governments of conspiring to abolish reservations for weaker sections by misleading the Mala community on Scheduled Caste (SC) classification.

Speaking at Ambedkar Bhavan in Balaji Colony on Wednesday, Rayalaseema Mala JAC Honorary President Ashokaratna criticised the coalition government’s efforts to approve SC classification based on the 2011 census, alleging it underrepresents the Mala population while favouring the Madiga community. He called the move unconstitutional and condemned elected MPs and MLAs for their silence.

JAC leaders announced a large-scale protest, Mala Simha Garjana, on March 23 at Nehru Municipal Grounds, Tirupati, urging Dalit intellectuals and employees to unite.

Meanwhile, Roar Against Categorisation Conspiracy of SCs and STs (ROCS) and Mala Mahanadu in Kakinada opposed the decision, with ROCS national president Dr RS Ratnakar warning that the move could spark caste-based state divisions. He criticised the inaction of public representatives and called for nationwide resistance against what he termed a Central-level conspiracy.

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