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Journalism of Courage
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Tuesday accused the BJP of making the Raj Bhavan a political arena, while addressing a well-attended rally organised to press Governor Anusuiya Uikey to clear two Bills aimed at increasing the reservation in education and jobs to 76 per cent. Governor’s assent to the Bills is awaited since they were passed by the Vidhan Sabha on December 2 last year.
“The Governor, as per Article 200 of the Constitution, can either give her assent to the Bills or send them back to the Vidhan Sabha but she is doing neither. The BJP has made the Raj Bhavan a political arena,” Baghel said from the dais at Science College ground in Raipur.
The Bills propose 32 per cent quota to Scheduled Tribes (STs), 27 per cent to Other Backward Classes (OBCs), 13 per cent to Scheduled Castes (SCs), and 4 per cent to people belonging to Economically Weaker Section (EWS) in public employment and admissions in educational institutions.
Baghel said, “We made quantifiable data commission in 2019 and based on its report, we included OBCs and EWS families to give them 27 per cent and 4 per cent reservation, respectively. I have not violated any law. These Bills were passed by the Vidhan Sabha. She (Governor) promised to pass the Bills in a minute… and it’s over a month now… people of Chhattisgarh support these Bills.”
He said that the Governor should either sign them or send back to the Vidhan Sabha as per the provision in Article 200 of the Constitution. “There is no provision to stall [the Bills]. The duties of all government servants are clear in our Constitution. How will I give admissions to students in colleges and fill vacancies in government jobs with the Bills pending? They are taking revenge from the people of Chhattisgarh,” he said.
Baghel also criticised the BJP-led Central government on several other issues, ranging from unemployment, price rise, land acquisition, minimum support price for farmers, and privatisation of government-run services.
Listing out the measures his government took for the welfare of different sections of society, Baghel said, “We will buy produce from farmers and ensure that they do not suffer losses. We will bear the losses on their (farmers) behalf. We fought for the land rights of tribals in the Supreme Court and ensured that the land is not taken away from them. We also brought back the old pension scheme (OPS). The Central government is stalling our dues related to GST, excise, and penalty on coal mine royalty. But We will fight… ladaai ladbo and jeetbo (we will fight and win),” he said.
Former Rajya Sabha MP and Congress in-charge for the state Kumari Selja in her address said that Governor’s stand on the Bills was a “grave injustice”. She said “someone pulled the strings and Governor who was going to clear the Bills changed her mind overnight”. Selja also said BJP across India, including in Chhattisgarh, is playing the politics of religion and caste.
“Every community must get social justice and we took a huge initiative [through reservation Bills] for them. I say this with a heavy heart that the initiative taken for the rights of Chhattisgarh people is being stalled… they are toying with the future of people of Chhattisgarh.”
Several Cabinet ministers and state leaders of the party were also present at the rally.
