Bhopal, Aug 6 (IANS) Congress MLA and Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in Madhya Pradesh Assembly, Umang Singhar, on Wednesday, demanded that caste-indicative names of villages and schools in the state should be renamed to ensure equality in the society.

The Congress leader said that there are several schools, which are addressed as “Chamar Tola” schools or with any other caste-indicative names.

It is an insult to the people belonging to the Schedule Castes and Schedule Tribes (SCs and STs).

“It is true that SC/ST people have a place due to the Constitution, but they are still facing humiliation and not getting respect which they really deserve. This fight for equality and respect will continue until we get it,” he said.

“Rahul Gandhi has recently said that 90 per cent people in Madhya Pradesh are from lower castes, and the Congress will become their voice. I accept that things have changed a lot after the country’s Independence, but atrocities against Dalits is still high in Madhya Pradesh,” he added.

LoP Singhar made this statement while addressing ‘Social Justice Conference’ organised at the Congress headquarters in Bhopal, which also attended by Rajendra Pal Gautam, who has been appointed as national chairman of SC committee of the Congress party.

Former Delhi Minister Rajendra Pal Gautam, who had headed several departments in Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party government in Delhi, had joined Congress in September last year.

He had resigned as a Cabinet minister in Delhi over his controversial comments on Hindu deities and also participated in an event where nearly 10,000 people had converted to Buddhism.

Gautam, who arrived in Bhopal to attend a party programme, met the State Congress Chief Jitu Patwari and several other senior party leaders, especially those belonging to the ST/SC communities.

–IANS

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