Another row, BJP alleges Akali Dal candidate for Jalandhar West bypoll not Scheduled Caste

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, June 28

Already in trouble after the SAD withdrew its support to her, Jalandhar West (reserved) bypoll candidate Surjit Kaur has landed in a fresh controversy after BJP SC Morcha president and retired IAS officer SR Ladhar alleged she did not belong to the Scheduled Caste category.

Ladhar said: “There are 39 notified Scheduled Castes approved by the Government of India as passed by an Act of Parliament. Among these, there is no caste notified as Sirkiband Rajput in Punjab, to which SAD candidate Surjit Kaur belongs. Sirkiband, Mahatam and Rai Sikhs are synonymous castes in the Abohar, Jalalabad and Fazilka area and few pockets along the Sutlej. The Rajputs who claim to be Sirkibands have never undergone untouchability, the touchstone to be declared as SC category.”

Ladhar alleged Surjit Kaur had procured a bogus SC certificate. He said before joining the BJP, he was running an NGO — Pagaam. “Through this NGO, I had got dismissed a sarpanch of Alampur village in Patiala, who claimed to be Sirkiband Rajput. I had also got dismissed a girl from Guru Ram Das Medical College doing MBBS since 2018 on SC certificate of Sirkiband Rajput. Her father and mother were working in Nangal as general category employees and are still in service,” he said.

He also said since Surjit Kaur’s papers had been accepted by the Returning Officer and the last date for scrutiny had passed, her candidature could not be rejected at this stage. He added: “The only legal possibility now is that in case she wins, her candidature can be challenged.” Ladhar alleged the SAD was perhaps trying to perpetrate a fraud and when it came to light, it took a U-turn and withdrew its support to her.

Meanwhile, Surjit Kaur said Ladhar’s allegations made no sense and that her “community falls the under SC category”. Paramjit Singh Bhat, a local leader of Sirkiband Rajputs, said: “We all have SC certificates. There are certain groups within the SCs who do not want us to get our due rights. We are fighting such matters in the Punjab and Haryana High Court.”

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