Lucknow, December 31
Driving a wedge further in the cast-in-stone caste divide in the state, a pro-quota in promotion body has called for the social boycott of all Dalit elected representatives who have opposed the Bill for promotion in quota during the recently concluded parliamentary session.

The Aarakshan Bachao Sangharsh Samiti - that had recently spearheaded the movement to restore the quota in SC/ST promotion in the state by putting in four extra hours at work - has now appealed to the Dalit community to impose sanctions on members of the community who had opposed the pro-quota bill. The boycott is specially aimed at such MPs and MLAs.

The samiti has urged the Dalit community to stop the “hukka pani” of such members of the community. It means staying away from them socially.

The Dalit community has been explicitly asked not to marry or invite for their marriages such Dalit elected representatives and strictly boycott them for any social function.

The appeal was made at a public function organised by the samiti which is mainly a body of bureaucrats and former bureaucrats of the Dalit community at a public function at Mohanlalganj (reserved) parliamentary constituency in Lucknow district.

Similar appeals will be made from public functions in the remaining 16 reserved parliamentary constituencies as well. Incidentally, the Samajwadi Party which is vehemently against quota in SC/ST promotion represents 10 of the 17 reserved constituencies in the Lok Sabha from Uttar Pradesh.

Dalit MPs from the SP represent Bulandshahr, Etawah, Hardoi, Jaluan, Kaushambi, Machchlishahr, Mohanlalganj, Nagina, Robersganj and Shahahjahanpur.