Statement released by the Bahujan Samaj Party at its Central OFfice In New Delhi on Monday, February 29, 2016. Translated from Hindi by Karishma Choudhary.
Ms. Mayawati ji’s Statement in the Rajya Sabha
• The single member Judicial Inquiry Commission — which was constituted for investigation into the case of abetment to suicide of Shri Rohith Vemula — does not have a Dalit member. Besides this, there are fundamental flaws which make this Gazette Notification invalid and illegal.
• BSP National President, MP (Rajya Sabha) and former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Ms Mayawati ji stated this inside the Parliament, outside it and to the media as well. In this manner, the anti-Dalit mindset of the BJP lead Central Government has been exposed in front of the country.
• Death of Shri Rohith Vemula due to autocratic and tyrannical government and the JNU issue were clubbed together in the Parliament because of mutual understanding between the BJP and the Congress. It is the result of anti-Dalit mindset of both parties.
New Delhi, 26 February. 2016.
• The National President of Bahujan Samaj Party, MP (Rajya Sabha) and former Chief Minister, Uttar Pradesh, Ms. Mayawati elaborated on the case of abetment to suicide of Shri Rohit Vemula, inside the Rajya Sabha, outside it as well as to the media. She exposed the anti-Dalit mindset of the Central Government led by Narendra Modi and said that in this case the BJP government is operating in the same vile and wrong manner as the Congress Party used to when it was in Government at the centre.
Ms Mayawati said that in the case of Shri Rohit Vemula, the Honorable Prime Minister Narendra Modi wept and declared that Bharat Mata has lost a beloved son but they proved to be crocodile tears because no Dalit member was included in the committee constituted to investigate this case.
Not only this, the Investigation Committee was constituted without following the complete and lawful procedure, this renders the Gazette Notification invalid and illegal as per the Law. This shows the casteist and venomous nature of BJP and also shows its tendency to conspire against Dalits.
The statement issued for this case inside and outside the Assembly is summarized as follows :
• On 24 February, that is Wednesday of previous week, I was assured by the Vice President (in the Rajya Sabha), that in reply to the discussion on Rohith Vemula case, the Government would definitely answer the question if there was a Dalit member included in the “Judicial Investigation Committee” constituted to investigate Rohith Vemula’s suicide case.
Sir, I regretfully state that this question of mine was not answered correctly by Union Human Resource Development Minister.
Although, when I raised the issue of Rohith’s suicide on 24 February, then I expected that if there was a Dalit member in the ‘Investigation Committee’ my repeated queries on this issue would have been answered immediately in front of the honorable Assembly.
But it was not done so that day.
Whereas, the truth of the matter is that she (Smriti Irani) has not included even a single Dalit member in the ‘Investigation Committee’, that is why the Minister concerned in the matter dodged my questions and to this day she has not answered my questions (correctly) because the reality is that, the Investigation Committee constituted by her does not have even a single ‘Dalit member’.
And the sole retired ‘Justice Shri Ashok Kumar Rupanwal’ who is presiding over the Commission belongs to an upper caste community.
As evidence of this, I present a copy of the excerpts of Gazette of HRD Ministry itself to the respected Chairman of the Honorable House, which was issued on 2nd February 2016.
Respected sir, the highlights are as follows, the Central Government exercising its powers under the Commissions of Inquiry Act , 1952 (1952 , Act 60), for investigation into the incidents at Hyderabad University, which were the cause of the death of Shri Rohith Vemula, appoints Justice Ashok Kumar Rupanwal (retired) to preside over the Commission.
The responsibilities delegated to the Commission are as follows:-
1. To examine the facts and circumstances which led to the death of the research scholar Shri Rohith Vemula and in case of mistakes, if there were any, assign responsibility for the same.
2. To re-examine the grievance redressal system in universities and suggest measures for improvement. The Commission shall investigate and will submit its report and recommendations to the Government within three months of its appointment.
Thus, the Investigation Commission has not included a single Dalit member.
Due to this we believe that they have made up their minds to not deliver justice to Rohith, it is pure cheating and deception.
Besides this, I would like to state that the Inquiry Commission has been constituted under Section 3, Commission of Inquiry Act 1952. The Commission has a retired Judge of Allahabad High Court who as per our information does not belong to Scheduled Castes.
Our party wants to say that when Para 2 of Section 3 has a provision that the Government can appoint more than one member in the Inquiry Commission, then the present Government must have appointed more than one member in the Commission appointed to investigate Rohith’s case and the Government can still do so.
But the Government is so far silent on the issue.
This clearly shows the anti-Dalit mindset of the Government.
(Gazette Notification check Commission) date (2 February 2016) is (invalid) and illegal.
In connection to this, I also want to say that under Section 3(1), Commission of Inquiry Act 1952 states that — according to which Commission of Inquiry has been constituted — the Government has a legal obligation to pass a Resolution in both the houses of the Parliament for constitution of the commission. And only after doing so, the government will issue a ‘Gazette notification’.
(but the notification was passed) in spite of the fact that the Parliament was not even in session at that time.
In such a situation, our party in this regard states that the Central Government has deliberately plotted this, so that that in future the Commission of Inquiry is declared invalid by the court and consequently the report of this commission is also declared invalid and illegal.
This clearly demonstrates the anti-Dalit mindset and intentions of Central Government.
• At the same time our party wishes to state clearly that this illegal ordinance is only for throwing cold water over the suicide case of Rohith and for saving the main culprits. It is not for giving justice to Rohith and other students besides Dalit students studying in the University. It has been done so because most people guilty in this case are staunch supporters of RSS and that is why the government is working very hard to save them.
Besides this calling student organizations — associated with Babasahab Ambedkar — Maoists is misleading.
Behind this we see a evil conspiracy of the RSS organization to keep people away from the thoughts of Babasahab Ambedkar.
In such a situation it does not bode well for the government to give examples of what Babasahab said. So the government must drop these pretensions.
Besides this, in connection to the concerned minister’s statement that justice is not ‘based on caste’, I want to tell her that since independence all over the country Dalits, Tribals and Other Backward Classes have been discriminated against in all cases and at all levels because of caste and had the minister given consideration to this fact while giving such statements in the House it would have been better.
And also, Sir, it would be much better if the the concerned minister — who showed her emotionality many times in her speech — gives a job to Rohith’s younger brother, instead of staging such performances.
In relation to this case I also state that if Uttar Pradesh was ruled by our party, then by this time we would have given a job to Rohith’s brother even if Rohith’s mother had not requested so.
In this case wrong statements have been issued with respect to Chief Medical Officer (C.M.O) and also the Police Administration of Hyderabad.
Therefore, keeping in view the facts stated here, our party and all the people (Sarva Samaj ) of our country do not agree with and are not satisfied with the answers of the concerned minister.
• Whereas, in relation to this matter she had said on 24 February that if BSP Chief is not satisfied with her answer, she would chop off her head and keep it at her feet, reminding her of this I want to ask her that would she (Minister) be able to fulfill her promise ?
I believe that you would not be able to do this even in your dreams.
That is why I suggest to the concerned minister that instead of talking in a frivolous manner she must honestly consider her situation, which will also be better for her present and her future.
• Not only was your behavior on 24 February towards me and other members of the opposition less than satisfactory.
And for this you yourself had apologized and being a woman and your senior I accepted your apology, but in case this is repeated in future, my people (samaj) and my party and other parties in the opposition would not be so kind.
Today I am advising you as well as warning you beforehand.
Not only the Rohith episode, the furore in JNU over anti-state activities and treason and patriotism is a serious and worrisome issue. In this matter our party is of the opinion that action against the guilty in this incident must be taken only after a thorough and correct investigation by the Police and Intelligence agencies.
Along with this if any such action is taken in an ‘institution’ of higher learning then all facts must be made known to the ‘administration, faculty and students’ and only after this strict action must be taken against the guilty. No political games must be played using such incidents as a cover. And we think that in case of JNU the government has acted in undue haste and this is not correct.
Finally, particularly in case of Rohith Vemula, our party says that this matter was clubbed together with J.N.U., this clearly demonstrates the anti-Dalit mindset of BJP and Congress.
And also the way the Minister twisted and distorted ‘Durga and Mahishasur’ issue giving the examples of Hindu-Puranic history is very shameful and condemnable.
That is to say using twisted and distorted history, using Hindu-Puranic stories, in the name of ‘Durga-Mahishasur’ the Dalits and Adivasi people of the country are being humiliated. I can say with full conviction that the people who wrote the history of Hindu culture want to level false allegations on Dalits and Adivasis and defame them. This has been done through calculated conspiracy.
Along with this, the people belonging to both communities have been depicted as disrespectful of women and as characterless which is false and inappropriate. That is why our party condemns these falsehoods. That is, this subject has been raised only to push the suicide case of Rohith to the margins and this can also cost the government dearly.
In case of Dalits and Adivasis, I want to tell the Minister and the government that though you do not want to work for the interests and respect of these communities, then the least you can do is refrain from humiliating them. And if, the government is serious in working for the interest of these communities then the first thing it must do is remove the Minister V.K.Singh from the Government, the one who called the people of Babasahab Dr.Ambedkar’s community as animals.
But the BJP led Central Government is not ready to do this. That is why whenever this government talks of Dalits and Babasahab Dr. Ambedkar it stings us like thorns. And the same attitude towards these groups was seen previously when Congress was in government.
Jai Bhim!
~ Issued by B.S.P. Central Office
~~~
Karishma Choudhary is a graduate from Kurukshetra University. Her areas of interest include Buddhism and Sociology.
Email id – karishmachoudharyace@gmail.com , neha.uttara@gmail.com
