In Tarena village panchayat, Biaora tehsil of Madhya Pradesh’s Rajgarh district, a Dalit Sarpanch alleges discrimination for being denied the opportunity to unfurl the Tricolour on Republic Day. The Sarpanch, Man Singh Verma, expressed his frustration, stating, “Despite being the village sarpanch, I wasn’t invited to unfurl the Tricolour on Republic Day. It was done because I belong to a Dalit family.”
Congress Rajya Sabha MP Digvijaya Singh condemned the alleged discrimination stating, “Is it a crime to be a Scheduled Caste? Does the Sarpanch not have the right to hoist the flag in the Panchayat Bhawan? I request the Chief Minister that such guilty Employment Assistant Lakhan Singh should be immediately suspended and action should be taken under ST/SC Act.”
Man Singh Verma further raised his voice by lodging a complaint against Rojgar Sahayak Lakhan Singh Sondhia at Janpad Panchayat in Biaora. Action has been initiated against Sondhia.
The Rajgarh district administration took action on Saturday, removing Lakhan Singh Sondhia from the Rojgar Sahayak post in response to the allegations of discrimination.
This incident is not isolated, as a similar case was reported in Madhya Pradesh on August 15 last year. A Sarpanch in Vidisha district had alleged that he was not allowed to unfurl the national flag at a school on Independence Day and was subjected to caste-based abuses by the school principal.
