Quid pro quo? Ambedkar Mahasabha president appointed govt. body head

Four days after the Ambedkar Mahasabha honoured Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath with the title of 'Dalit Mitr', the organisation's president, Lalji Nirmal, was on Wednesday appointed the chairperson of the U.P. Scheduled Castes Finance and Development Corporation. This post is equivalent to the status of a Minister of State.

Retired IPS officer Brij Lal, who was State DGP during the regime of BSP chief Mayawati, was appointed the chairperson of the SC/ST Commission, a government spokesperson said. Mr. Lal had joined the BJP in 2015.

An influential Dalit body in Uttar Pradesh, the Ambedkar Mahasabha landed in a controversy after some of its founding members opposed Mr. Nirmal's decision to honour Mr. Adityanath. Leading the charge was retired IPS officer S.R. Darapuri who questioned the intention behind the gesture as it came in the wake of protests by Dalits across the country, especially on the alleged dilution of the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act.

Talking to The Hindu, Mr. Nirmal defended his decision saying "there is no meaning in linking" the honour to theCM with the new post. He praised Mr. Adityanath's decision taken in March to make it mandatory for all government offices in the State to have a portrait of Dr. Ambedkar.

"To put Ambedkar's photo was a bigger decision than building 100 monuments. Even Mayawati could not achieve this," Mr. Nirmal said.