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In a case of caste discrimination, candidates appearing for the post of constables in Madhya Pradesh’s Dhar were allegedly labelled with their caste on their chest during medical examination at a district hospital, reported ANI.
Superintendent of Police Birendra Singh took cognisance of the matter and said, “It is a serious matter and we have ordered investigation”.
He added that no such instruction was given from the police to mention the caste of the candidates on their chests.
Congress President Rahul Gandhi took to Twitter to condemn the incident, slamming the Bharatiya Janata Party-run government in the state for the incident.
BSP Chief Mayawati too condemned the incident, questioning the silence of the top leaders from the BJP, including the prime minister.
Mayawati demanded the officials responsible for the incident should be punished while the Centre needed to issue strict orders to check recurrence of such incidents anywhere in the country.
The Sharad Pawar-led NCP asked the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) to probe the incident in Madhya Pradesh and described it as "shameful".
Meawhile, Bhupendra Singh, Madhya Pradesh’s Home Minister, said that a probe had been ordered in the case, and strictest action will be taken against the guilty officers.
According to Hindustan Times, none of the candidates have lodged a formal complaint against the caste markings on their body, but the pictures that were leaked to the local media has triggered a furore in the administration.
Director General of Police Rishi Kumar Shukla told HT that action has been initiated; however, he clarified that there were no bad intentions behind the move.
The physical measurement is different for each category of candidate. Candidates of OBC and SC should be 168 cm tall, while an ST candidate should be 160 cm tall. Likewise, there is a difference in measurement of the chest size.
While MP Police has denied any instructions for the caste markings, civil surgeon Dr Sushil Kumar Khare, who was heading the medical board, shrugged responsibility off his shoulders, reported HT.
District officials, on the condition of anonymity, told HT that ‘SC’ stood for Scheduled caste, ‘ST’ denoted scheduled tribe, while ‘O’ stood for OBC. The marking, according to the official, was done to avoid mixing of candidates and giving them the benefit of relaxation.
(With inputs from ANI and Hindustan Times)
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