Patna: The ruling JDU on Tuesday cited the death of a critically ill newborn in an ambulance in Vaishali district during the bandh on Monday to hit back at the RJD, which has been accusing the NDA governments in the Centre and the state of ignoring Dalits' rights.
The RJD had extended support to the bandh by Dalit organisations on Monday against the recent Supreme Court ruling "diluting" the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The Telegraph had reported how thanks to the bandh the ambulance carrying the newborn, who was being to taken Hajipur for treatment, took over two hours for a 35km journey that usually takes 45 minutes. The hours-old baby was declared brought dead to the Vaishali sadar hospital.
When RJD MLC Subodh Rai moved an adjournment motion at the Legislative Council over the Dalit issue as soon as the House commenced its business for the day on Tuesday and started speaking in support of it, JDU MLC Neeraj Kumar intervened.
"Who is responsible for the death of the grandson of Mohammad Quadil?" Neeraj asked.
While moving the adjournment motion, Subodh maintained that the Centre had not presented its case strongly in support of the provisions of the SC/ST Act in the apex court. He also said that even JDU legislators were with the RJD on this issue.
At this juncture, council vice-chairman Harun Rashid informed the House that the adjournment motion had been rejected.
Protesting the rejection of the motion, five RJD MLCs rushed to the Well of the House and started raising slogans.
They returned to their seats after repeated requests from the vice-chairman.
Neeraj also questioned the seriousness of the RJD on the Dalit issue.
Had the RJD been serious about the issue, Neeraj said, it would have become an intervener in the case when the central government filed a review petition in the apex court on Monday.
The apex court, on a petition filed by a Maharashtra government official, had last month issues guidelines to protect government servants and private individuals from arbitrary and immediate arrest under the SC/ST Act.
