Youth Files PIL Against Caste-Based Hiring of Prez’ Bodyguards

The army has said only Jat Sikhs, Hindu Jats and Hindu Rajputs are allowed to participate in the selection process.

Nineteen-year-old Saurav Yadav from Gurugram has filed a public interest litigation in the Punjab and Haryana High Court seeking expulsion of the caste-based recruitment process for the President’s bodyguards on 21 February, The Indian Express reported.

The plea mentioned that the process has been going since 1947 and members from only three castes, Jat Sikhs, Hindu Jats and Hindu Rajputs, are allowed to participate in the selection process. The plea sought quashing of the latest recruitment held by the Director of the Army Recruitment office in September 2017, Express reported.

Such practice of recruitment is gross violation of the Constitutional rights of all eligible citizens of India who are legally entitled to be recruited as the President’s bodyguards. 

Saurav Yadav, a college student told The Indian Express

Advocate Himanshu Raj, who represents Yadav in the PIL, told The Indian Express that this process is “against the right of equality and also the constitutional rights which prohibit discrimination in the name of caste or religion.”

In the plea, Yadav said it was about time that the “medieval tribalism and colonial practice” of favoring and rewarding particular castes in the recruitment process is uprooted, the report stated. 

A division bench of the High Court on Tuesday deferred the hearing for till 8 March, asking an explanation on whether the plea is in sync with the PIL rules of the High Court.

In 2013, the Indian Army admitted in the Supreme Court that recruitment to President's Bodyguard (PBG) is open only to Hindu Rajputs, Hindu Jats and Jat Sikhs, saying it is done purely on "functional requirement" and there is no caste and religion bias in it, PTI reported.

In an affidavit filed in the apex court, the army refuted the allegation that the recruitment was done on the basis of caste and religion.

The ceremonial duties in Rashtrapati Bhawan demand common height, built and appearance, the affidavit added.

A PIL was filed by IS Yadav, a doctor hailing from Rewari in Haryana, seeking abolition of the army's recruitment criteria for its soldiers on the grounds of caste, region and religion. The response filed was filed in compliance with the apex court order, the PTI report added.

(With inputs from PTI, Indian Express)