MP Govt. slammed over distribution of bags quoting SC/ ST scheme

Mandsaur (Madhya Pradesh) [India], Oct. 28 (ANI): The Madhya Pradesh Government came under fire from the SC/ST students after a government college in Mandsaur district distributed college bags with 'SC/ ST scheme' written on it. The SC/ST students of the Rajiv Gandhi Government PG College said though it was a good initiative but there was no need to write the name of the scheme over them as this leads to profiling and humiliation. "The students not belonging to the SC/ST community look down on us and we face discrimination," one of the students told ANI. "We demand those in power not to do such acts if they really want to bring us to the mainstream," he said, adding that many students either apply stickers or ink on the written words or do not carry the bags to college to escape the humiliation. When asked about the same, BJP leader and Madhya Pradesh Higher Education Minister Jaibhan Singh Pawaiya said, "There is no such scheme of the higher education department in which bags printed with SC/ST scheme are to be distributed in universities." "As soon as the matter came to my knowledge, I ordered the Principal Secretary to investigate as to under which scheme these bags have been distributed and why unnecessarily the name of the scheme has been printed on these bags," he added. Assuring stringent action against those responsible, he said, "Even if it is someone's mistake, we will make sure such things don't happen again." Congress leader Pankaj Chaturvedi took on the BJP-led government in the state, saying the motive behind this initiative is to humiliate the SC/ST students. "We condemn such an act and our leaders have taken notice of this. We will take this matter to Delhi and ensure justice is meted out to the students," he added. The initiative also drew the ire of the Congress students wing NSUI as its members were seen raising slogans against the state government while accusing Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan of being anti-Dalit. (ANI)