National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) headed by Buta Singh on Thursday joined issue in the controversy surrounding Karnataka High Court Chief Justice Dinakaran and criticised the UPA government for its failure to preserve and protect the honour of the Scheduled Caste (SC) judge. The Commission the apex body responsible for safeguarding the Constitutional rights of SCs also warned of an investigation into the matter if the vilification campaign against Dinakaran was not stopped. The NCSC has the powers of a civil court trying a suit in matters relating to violations of Constitutional safeguards granted to SCs. The NCSC would have welcomed any step taken by the Government of India to preserve and protect the honour of the Honble Justice of India and the Chief Justices of the High Courts and SC judges serving in the various courts of the country. But unfortunately,the government is keeping silent,which has given sufficient room to the media to play upon the Constitutional rights of the SCs as granted in the Constitution of India, a release issued by the commission said. When contacted,Joint Secretary T Theethan said the commission had recently held a meeting chaired by Chairman Buta Singh after it received complaints from various quarters questioning the silence of the commission over the Dinakaran issue. The Commission has taken the matter very seriously and expressed its concern. It will take necessary action in due course, he told The Indian Express. Singh,however,refrained from lodging the commission's displeasure before the government. No letter has been written to the government. The Commission is trying to express its concern through the media, Theethan said. The statement issued by the Commission comes out in strong defence of Justice Dinakaran and charges the Bar Council of India and others spearheading the campaign of being biased on caste lines. The NCSC has taken serious view of the campaign launched in the entire media by some of the anti-Dalit and casteist elements both in the Bar Counsel of India and various bar associations of the states and judicial activists who are already known for having casteist attitude towards the increasing strength of SCs and STs in the judicial services of the country, it says. Therefore,if the tirade against the SCs in judiciary is not stopped the Commission would be duty bound to take stock of the situation which has arisen from the unabashed and continuous campaigning of vilification, the release added.
