Bhopal, May 16 (IANS) National Commission for the Scheduled Castes (NCSC) chairman Buta Singh Sunday said that Dalits were being denied their fundamental right in Madhya Pradesh and that the government was recruiting general category candidates to fill the backlog of vacancies reserved for the SCs.
Singh, who was on the fact-finding mission to Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s native village in Sehore district, 100 km from here, after media reports that Dalits were not allowed entry into the three temples there, was accompanied by NCSC member from Madhya Pradesh Mahendra Boudh.

The commission chairman told mediapersons: “Though the Dalits were seen worshipping with others when we visited the temple, they left the moment we left the place.”

Singh also accused the Madhya Pradesh government of denying Dalits their fundamental right by recruiting general category candidates to fill the backlog of vacancies reserved for Dalits.

“The Madhya Pradesh government has been recruiting general category candidates to fill the backlog of vacancies reserved for SCs which is violation of Article 16 (4-B) of the Constitution and which amounts to negating their fundamental right,” he said.

The visiting duo also said that the Dalit sarpanch of Shahganj village in Sehore, Santosh Ahirwar, was removed on a flimsy ground after winning the post.

“Besides, the Dalits have been denied their adequate share of representation in the rural civic bodies in the state,” he said.

“Uttar Pradesh tops the list of the states followed by Bihar and Madhya Pradesh in atrocities against the scheduled castes,” Singh said, adding that the commission would submit its final report to President Pratibha Patil by May 26.