BJSM expresses resentment over 'non-ST candidate' contesting in ST reserved seat

OUR CORRESPONDENT

KOKRAJHAR: The Bodoland Janajati Suraksha Mancha (BJSM) on Monday expressed strong resentment over the fielding of non-ST candidate in ST reserved seat and demanded that the scrutiny committee should take appropriate action at the earliest.

The Mancha said that the list of contesting candidates in 12 assembly constituencies in BTC comprised of one non-ST candidate in Barama ST reserved seat - Naba Kumar Sarania, sitting MP of Kokrajhar from Gana Suraksha Party (GSP), who was allegedly enjoying constitutional benefit of ST reservation by using his fake ST certificate.

The president of the BJSM, Janaklal Basumatary said that MP Naba Kumar Sarania belonged to O-Boro or non-Boro community and had formed the Gana Suraksha Party with the sole objective of destroying the Boro community. He said that with Sarania's entry in the tribal reserved constituency with 'fake ST candidate' there would be no free and fair election in Barama ST reserved constituency.

Basumatary said that as admittedly the Saranias were not recognized as ST in the plains of Assam, Naba Kumar Sarania obtained ST (P) certificate by declaring himself as belonging to the Boro Kachari community. He said that issuing ST certificate to someone whose community was not notified ST in the Constitutional Order 1950, as amended time to time, was prohibited under Article 342(1) (2) of the Constitution of India.

Basumatary said that the Director of WPT department issued show cause notice to Naba Kumar Sarania why his ST certificate should not be confiscated and cancelled. After a long time, Naba Kumar Sarania filed show cause explanation and he had been given opportunity of being heard. He also said that the onus to prove that his parents belong to the Boro Kachari community lies with him, which he failed, except for his self declaration of belonging to Boro Kachari community to obtain ST certificate without any document. He further said the final hearing ended in 11.12.2020 but no order had yet been passed by the scrutiny committee for reasons best known to them. In the meantime, Naba Kumar Sarania continued to use this 'fake ST certificate' for filing nomination paper for contesting from the Barama assembly election, said the BJSM leader.

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