A large number of Bhim Army members took out a protest march on Sunday against the Supreme Court's ruling that state governments are not bound to provide reservation in promotions in public services. Bhim Army chief Chandra Shekhar Aazad led the protest march from Mandi House to Jantar Mantar. He has given a call for a 'Bharat Bandh' on February 23 demanding that the government brings an ordinance to nullify the ruling.
"Now the time has come when the SC/ST/OBC and other minority people need to come together for their rights. The Bharatiya Janata Party is against the minorities in the country. "The nation will run with Ambedkar's Constitution and this movement will not stop here. There would be a big movement on February 23 and it should be held peacefully," Aazad said.
The Supreme Court has held that states are not bound to provide reservation in appointments and there is no fundamental right to claim quota in promotions. Bhim Army spokesperson Harjeet Singh Bhatti said, "The judgment of the apex court is totally against the Constitution's promise of right to equality. We want the government to bring an amendment against this judgment."
The apex court said this while dealing with pleas regarding the Uttarakhand government's September 5, 2012, decision to fill up all posts in public services in the state without providing reservations to scheduled castes and scheduled tribes. The government's decision was challenged in the Uttarakhand High Court, which struck it down.
Some of the protesters also raised slogans against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and the National Register of Citizens. They were also raising slogans such as 'Godhra humko yaad hai', 'Jamia humko yaad rahega', 'Kashmir humko yaad rahega', 'Kashmir me hinsa nahi sahengey', 'UP me hinsa nahi chalegi' and 'mob lynching nahi chalegi'.
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