JAIPUR: A controversy arose during a joint mahapanchayat of the Scheduled Caste-Scheduled Tribe community on Sunday as state cabinet ministers were not permitted to speak more than two minutes at the event.
Minister of disaster management and relief Govind Ram Meghwal had to end his speech when one of the organisers intervened after two minutes. On being interrupted in the middle of his speech, a miffed Meghwal got off the stage and left the event.
“They (the organisers) have asked me to speak for two minutes. Therefore, I end my speech here. You can continue with the meeting. We’ve heard them saying that they’ve welcomed the ministers. However, not even one minister has been made to sit on the stage. It is very clear now how much you’re united. With this, I end my speech,” said Meghwal.
Cabinet ministers Mamta Bhupesh, Tikaram Jully and Bhajanlal Jatav too left the venue after Meghwal departed.
Ahead of the assembly elections in Rajasthan due later this year, nearly a lakh people participated in a joint mahapanchayat of the SC and ST communities which was organised at Mansarovar ground in Jaipur on Sunday.
Withdrawal of cases registered against those who participated in an agitation during Bharat Bandh on April 2, 2018; withdrawal of 63 cases registered in the Kankri Dungri case, which took place in Dungarpur, Banswara, Udaipur in September 2020; increase in reservation for SCs from 16% to 18% and that of STs from 12% to 14% as per the 2011 census figures; reservation in regularisation of contractual employees and giving administrative powers to SC and ST commissions, proper representation of SC-ST as vice-chancellors of universities and introduction of Indian Judicial Services were some of the 38 demands of the SC-ST community.
G L Verma, general secretary, Dr Ambedkar Memorial Welfare Society and press secretary of the mahapanchayat, said, “One of the organisers, retired IPS Satyaveer Singh, interrupted the minister after two minutes and wanted the minister to speak only on issues and demands that were unsolved by the state government. Singh hijacked the whole programme just to score brownie points.”
“However, the state government is not having a dialogue with the representatives of the SC-ST community to resolve our issues. We have been seeking an appointment with the chief minister (Ashok Gehlot) for the past 4 months. But, he is not giving us time to meet,” said Verma.
Minister of disaster management and relief Govind Ram Meghwal had to end his speech when one of the organisers intervened after two minutes. On being interrupted in the middle of his speech, a miffed Meghwal got off the stage and left the event.
“They (the organisers) have asked me to speak for two minutes. Therefore, I end my speech here. You can continue with the meeting. We’ve heard them saying that they’ve welcomed the ministers. However, not even one minister has been made to sit on the stage. It is very clear now how much you’re united. With this, I end my speech,” said Meghwal.
Cabinet ministers Mamta Bhupesh, Tikaram Jully and Bhajanlal Jatav too left the venue after Meghwal departed.
Ahead of the assembly elections in Rajasthan due later this year, nearly a lakh people participated in a joint mahapanchayat of the SC and ST communities which was organised at Mansarovar ground in Jaipur on Sunday.
Withdrawal of cases registered against those who participated in an agitation during Bharat Bandh on April 2, 2018; withdrawal of 63 cases registered in the Kankri Dungri case, which took place in Dungarpur, Banswara, Udaipur in September 2020; increase in reservation for SCs from 16% to 18% and that of STs from 12% to 14% as per the 2011 census figures; reservation in regularisation of contractual employees and giving administrative powers to SC and ST commissions, proper representation of SC-ST as vice-chancellors of universities and introduction of Indian Judicial Services were some of the 38 demands of the SC-ST community.
G L Verma, general secretary, Dr Ambedkar Memorial Welfare Society and press secretary of the mahapanchayat, said, “One of the organisers, retired IPS Satyaveer Singh, interrupted the minister after two minutes and wanted the minister to speak only on issues and demands that were unsolved by the state government. Singh hijacked the whole programme just to score brownie points.”
“However, the state government is not having a dialogue with the representatives of the SC-ST community to resolve our issues. We have been seeking an appointment with the chief minister (Ashok Gehlot) for the past 4 months. But, he is not giving us time to meet,” said Verma.
