Dalits who convert to other religions should not get quota benefits: BJP’s SC cell head

A meeting of state and district executives of the BJP’s SC cell was held to strengthen the party’s frontal organisations ahead of the assembly elections to be held later this year

National president of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP’s) Scheduled Caste (SC) cell Lal Singh Arya on Wednesday said the Dalits, who convert to other religions, should not be given the benefits of reservation.

BJP’s SC Morcha national president Lal Singh Arya addressing the media in Shimla on Wednesday. (Deepak Sansta/HT)

“The Indian constitution grants the reservation on the basis of untouchability and those who convert to Islam or Christianity lose this right,” he said while addressing a meeting of the state and district executives of the party’s SC Morcha.

The meeting was aimed at strengthening the BJP’s frontal organisations ahead of the assembly elections to be held later this year.

“For the first time after independence, any government has made the highest budget provision of ₹142 lakh crore for the Scheduled Castes,” he added.

“Besides, the central government has started various schemes for the upliftment of lower caste communities,” Arya said.

“The Himachal Pradesh government led by chief minister Jai Ram Thakur is also doing commendable work for the upliftment of the Scheduled Castes, in which the decision to waive interest for the people belong to this category in loans up ₹50,000 or to waive 50% of the fare in buses for women are some key decisions,” he added.

A day-long meeting of national office-bearers of the BJP’s Scheduled Caste morcha was held at Shimla.