After targeting the Narendra Modi government for failing to bring an ordinance to restore the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and appointing Justice A.K. Goel, as National Green Tribunal Chairman, the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) on Monday shifted focus to the Congress.
Reacting to former Law Minister and Congress leader Ashwani Kumar’s statement that the demand to remove Justice Goel is not justified, LJP leader Chirag Paswan asked the Congress to clarify its stand on the issue.
After a fiery press conference last week in which Mr. Paswan had asked the Modi government to sack Justice Goel as NGT Chairman and take measures to restore the original provisions of a law on atrocities against Dalits by August 8, he sounded conciliatory and claimed his party had no conflict with the government.
The government has often met our demands, he said, citing its move in the Supreme Court for resuming quota for Dalits and tribals in promotion and the stay on a UGC directive which had reduced the number of reserved seats in universities and colleges. Attacking the Congress and its chief, he said Rahul Gandhi often seeks to corner the government by raising Dalit issues, but a senior leader of his party has backed Justice Goel’s continuation.
“Gandhi must clear his stand on the issue. Do you support the demand to dismiss Goel or not,” he said.
Several parties, including BJP allies like LJP and Union Ministers Upendra Kushwaha and Ramdas Athawale, have backed the call to remove the former Supreme Court judge for delivering a judgment that, they claim, diluted a law on atrocities against Dalits and tribals.