NDA ally says 5 MPs elected on forged SC certificate

Former Bihar chief minister and BJP ally Jitan Ram Manjhi alleged on Wednesday that five MPs, including a Union minister, have been elected to Lok Sabha from seats reserved for the Scheduled Castes on the basis of "forged" certificates and sought an inquiry.

Speaking to reporters after addressing the national executive of his party Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) here, Manjhi also said that the Union government may be making efforts to usher in peace in Kashmir but results are not visible as he expressed anguish over the killing of poor migrants, including some from Bihar, by terrorists there.

With the country paying tributes to Maharishi Valmiki, who authored epic Ramayana, the Dalit leader stuck to his controversial remark that Lord Ram was a fictional character and said that the saint was "thousands of times bigger" than Ram. "This is my personal view, and I do not want to hurt anyone's feelings," he said.

In his speech at the party meeting, Manjhi alleged that Union minister S P Singh Baghel and Jaisiddeshwar Shivacharya Mahaswamiji (both BJP MPs), Congress MP Mohammad Sadique, TMC MP Aparupa Poddar and independent MP Navneet Ravi Rana represent seats reserved for SCs after contesting on the basis of forged certificates.

Though there was no immediate reaction from these parliamentarians to his allegations, most of them in the past have denied the charge.

Baghel's aides have asserted that his caste is notified as a Scheduled Caste in Uttar Pradesh from where he has been elected.

The Bombay High Court had cancelled Rana's caste certificate but she got relief from the Supreme Court which had in June stayed the judgment.

Majhi claimed that anywhere between 15 to 20 percent of quota benefits for Dalits in jobs and even local body polls are usurped by others on the basis of forged caste certificates.

The HAM president announced the dissolution of all organisational bodies of the party and said they will soon be reconstituted.

He also demanded a common schooling system for everyone and also a separate electoral roll for Dalits.

Common schooling for children from different strata of society will bring equality and then reservations will not be needed if the review of such an education brings out positive outcomes in 10 years, he said.

Manjhi's party is a member of the BJP-led NDA and an ally in the Nitish Kumar-led government in Bihar.