To woo Dalits and corner NDA, Congress to take up pending Bills in Monsoon session

NEW DELHI: Looking to secure Dalit support as it eyes a revival in fortunes, Congress is planning to take up the issue of pending bills related to the empowerment and reservation of SCs and STs to corner the NDA government in the Monsoon session of Parliament, which begins next month.

Sources in the party said they will raise the issue of the non-passage of bills like the Constitution (117th Amendment) Bill, 2012, that aims to provide quota in promotions, a Bill to provide legislative framework for reservation and another to amend and strengthen the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act, 1989.

"We will build pressure on the government to ensure that it introduces these three Bills -- which are pending for a long time -- in the Monsoon session. Enactment of the Bills will go a long way in ensuring justice for the Dalits," a party functionary said speaking on condition of anonymity.

Congress's focus on Dalit issues comes as the party is trying to recover from a recent trend of electoral reverses. It is planning to reach out to Dalits and other deprived sections in a big way.

Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi on June 2 flagged off the national launch of the party's commemoration of the 125th anniversary celebrations of Dalit icon BR Ambedkar at the latter's birthplace in Mhow of Madhya Pradesh.

Congress President Sonia Gandhi had on June 1 written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi slamming his government for allowing an ordinance to lapse which was aimed at strengthening the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.

Ahead of 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the previous UPA government had in March last year cleared the SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Ordinance making penal provisions more stringent to deter people committing crimes against members of Dalit communities.

The Ordinance had proposed that common crimes like rape, assault and kidnapping should also be brought under the purview of this Act.

"Even as Standing Committee recommended for bringing amendments to the 1989 Act and gave its report way back in December, 2014, the NDA government did not bring a Bill on it in the Budget session. Our party will take up the matter when Monsoon session of Parliament convenes," the functionary said.