Bihar’s Mahadalit panel unconstitutional, says Buta

National Commission for Scheduled Castes chairman Buta Singh has said the Mahadalit Commission formed by the Nitish Kumar govenrment in Bihar was unconstitutional.

“The formation of this commission is totally illegal and unconstitutional. The government has no right to form this commission without the formal consent of the National Commission for Scheduled Caste. In this case, this did not happen”, Buta told a news conference on Tuesday evening.

Bihar’s Mahadalit Commission was formed in September 2007 wherein 20 of the total 22 castes in the scheduled caste category were brought under this purview.

Paswan and Pasi castes have still been kept out of this Mahadalit category which has led to verbal duel between chief minister Nitish Kumar and Lok Janshakti Party chief Ram Vilas Paswan.

Paswan has alleged the chief minister was dividing the society along the caste lines, a charge also supported by other Opposition parties like Rashtriya janata Dal and the Congress.