Azad demands caste census in Chhattisgarh, CBI probe into arson and violence in Balodabazar | Latest news from India

Raipur, Azad Samaj Party leader Chandra Shekhar Azad on Saturday said that a caste census must be conducted in Chhattisgarh and the 16 per cent quota for the Scheduled Castes must be restored in the state. Azad, MP from Nagina in Uttar Pradesh, was addressing the ‘Samajik Nyay Yatra’ rally organised by the Bhim Army Bharat Ekta Mission Chhattisgarh at the Science College premises here. “The Scheduled Castes were given 16 per cent reservation in Chhattisgarh, which was reduced to 12 per cent without a caste census. The state government must conduct a caste census and restore the 16 per cent quota on the basis of population,” he said. He also said that the arson and violence on June 10 and the destruction of the ‘Jaitkham’ or ‘Victory Pillar’, a sacred symbol revered by the Satnami community, near the holy Amar Gufa at Giroudpuri Dham in Balodabazar-Bhatapara district on the intervening night of May 15-16 must be investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation. On June 10, a mob set ablaze a government building housing the offices of the district collector and police commissioner and over 150 vehicles in Balodabazar town during a protest by the Satnami community against the desecration of the religious structure. The influential Satnami community, founded by medieval social reformer Baba Guru Ghasidas, is the largest caste group in Chhattisgarh. Azad also demanded the unconditional release of those arrested in connection with the Balodabazar arson attack, adding that those fighting for the honour of ‘Satnam’ were arrested by the Vishnu Deo Sai government as part of a conspiracy. According to police, more than 160 people, including Congress MP Devendra Yadav, have been arrested for alleged involvement in arson and violence. Those arrested will spread the message of peace and brotherhood and emerge as leaders after their release, he claimed. Besides a CBI probe into the ‘Jaitkham’ desecration and the violence during the resulting protest, Azad also demanded the introduction of quota rules in promotions in government jobs and a minimum wage of ₹700 per day for labourers. Meanwhile, an official of the Bhim Army Bharat Ekta Mission Chhattisgarh said a memorandum addressed to President Droupadi Murmu was handed over to an official here.