Re: [ZESTCaste] 'Remove anti-Dalit references from Hindu scriptures'
I don't think they should remove them. They should stay there so that people can learn just how evil these guys are! See Wendy Doniger's translations of Rig Veda and Manusmriti (published by Penguin). If they are removed it will only provide more legitimation to make dalits and bahujans think of themselves as Hindus and give a boost to Brahmanism, jai bhim jai joti Gail http://www.theindianherald.com/2009/02/remove-anti-dalit-references-from.html Tuesday, February 17, 2009 'Remove anti-Dalit references from Hindu scriptures'
[ZESTCaste] Dalits fear caste-wise budget allocations will create divisions
http://www.thehindu.com/2009/02/22/stories/2009022255230100.htm Front Page Dalits fear caste-wise budget allocations will create divisions Bageshree S. 'Oppressed communities need education, healthcare rather than bhavans' Bangalore: The provisions made in the 2009-10 budget in the social welfare sector is striking for the number of allocations made to specific caste groups and caste-based organisations. However, Dalit and backward class activists fear that this will only create divisions and convert castes into vote banks rather than contribute to their social empowerment as a whole. The budget makes an allocation for improving infrastructure for organisations of communities such as Vishwakarma, Kshatriya, Uppara, Kuruba, Devanga and a host of other communities. There is yet another allocation for providing loans to Kambara, Badiga and other professional communities. It makes a significant allocation for communities such as the Banjaras and Valmikis too, but the emphasis here is on building bhavans for these communities. Institutions run by Christian, Buddhist, Jain and other minority communities get yet another allocation. The accent in most allocations is clearly not on educational and social advancement. For instance, while there is a promise of building bhavans in 200 Lambani tandas at a cost of Rs. 10 lakh each and district-level Banjara bhavans at a cost of Rs. 10 crore each, the total allocation for improving 500 Banjara tandas remains Rs. 50 crore, pointing to the imbalance in priorities. It is also significant that many of the allocations made to maths and temples are again aimed at Dalit and backward class groups. Allocations made to no less than 10 maths and temples — in the range of Rs. 2 lakh to Rs 5 lakh each — are targeted at them. Dalit communities need quality education and access to healthcare rather than bhavans built in their name to please a few leaders in each community, said M. Venkatesh, an activist of the Dalit Bahujan Samaj. Indudhar Honnapura of the Dalit Sangharsha Samiti said, The biggest tragedy is the division being created within the Dalit community on caste lines. While internal reservation has been a much-debated issue, random allocation without scientifically taking into account the population share is no more than divisive, vote-bank tactics, he added. Increased allocation Another much emphasised aspect of the budget is the three-fold increase in the targeted allocation for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in the pooled fund, to be disbursed through the Social Welfare Department, from Rs. 200 crore to Rs. 600 crore. Dalit activists are sceptical as to whether this will mean anything at all considering that the 18 per cent set aside by all government departments under Special Component Scheme does not get spent even by half, year after and year, and some of it even being diverted for works not related to Dalit welfare. The budget proposes renaming LIDKAR, the State-owned leather industry which is now in doldrums, as Jagjivan Ram Development Corporation. This too comes across as a mere tokenism in the absence of a clear vision on how the beleaguered industry will be revived and artisans helped. While the long-pending demand of Dalit groups to allocate 23 per cent in the budget for social welfare in proportion to their population has remained a distant dream, even the allocation made in the budget seems far from aiming at addressing their real issues. INFORMATION OVERLOAD? Get all ZESTCaste mails sent out in a span of 24 hours in a single mail. Subscribe to the daily digest version by sending a blank mail to zestmedia-dig...@yahoogroups.com, OR, if you have a Yahoo! Id, change your settings at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTMedia/join/ PARTICIPATE:- On this list you can share caste news, discuss caste issues and network with like-minded anti-caste people from across India and the world. Just write to zestcaste@yahoogroups.com TELL FRIENDS TO SIGN UP:- If you got this mail as a forward, subscribe to ZESTCaste by sending a blank mail to zestcaste-subscr...@yahoogroups.com OR, if you have a Yahoo! ID, by visiting http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTCaste/join/ Also have a look at our sister list, ZESTMedia: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTMedia/Yahoo! Groups Links * To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTCaste/ * Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional * To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTCaste/join (Yahoo! ID required) * To change settings via email: mailto:zestcaste-dig...@yahoogroups.com mailto:zestcaste-fullfeatu...@yahoogroups.com * To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: zestcaste-unsubscr...@yahoogroups.com * Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
[ZESTCaste] Inspector booked under SC/ST Act
http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/inspector-booked-under-sc-st-act/425772/ Inspector booked under SC/ST Act Mohit Sharma Posted: Feb 20, 2009 at 0056 hrs New Delhi On the complaint of a Delhi Police head constable, the IP Estate police have booked an inspector, Gajraj Singh, under the SC/ST Act. Gajraj Singh is the former station house officer of the IP Estate police station where the complainant, Head Constable Brij Lal, is posted. In his complaint filed six months ago, Brij Lal said Gajraj had hurt my sentiments. On this, an inquiry was launched by the Central district police and an FIR was lodged against the officer a few days ago. According to sources in the police, the complainant had sought a vigilance inquiry into the matter. After the inquiry, directions came from the Commissioner of Police, Yudhbir Singh Dadwal, and other senior officers to register a case against Gajraj Singh, said a source. While Special Commissioner of Police Satish Chandra and Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (Vigilance) M N Tiwari said they did not remember this particular case, Joint Commissioner of Police, Northern Range, Karnal Singh confirmed the registration of the FIR. He said: The central district had conducted an internal inquiry into the matter. On its basis, a case has been registered at the IP Estate police station. Singh added that the case had now been transferred to the Delhi Police's Crime Branch. If it finds anybody guilty, a chargesheet will be filed and appropriate action taken. It is a very serious offence, he said. Gajraj Singh was transferred from the IP Estate police station about six months ago and is currently posted in the Right to Information Act Cell at the IGI. According to the sources, he was removed as the SHO only after the matter came to the notice of senior officers.
[ZESTCaste] SC/ST Bill aimed to fool people: CPI
http://www.indopia.in/India-usa-uk-news/latest-news/507120/National/1/20/1 SC/ST Bill aimed to fool people: CPI Published: February 20,2009 New Delhi, Feb 20 The CPI today said the move to amend provisions of the SC and ST ( Reservation of Posts and Services) Bill was only aimed tofoolpeople and asked the government not to rush through the measure. Government is trying to fool Dalits and adivasis by first inserting anti-reservation provisions and now by trying to delete some of them, as if they are doing a great favour,CPI National Secretary D Raja said. Bowing to pressure, the government yesterday said it has decided to make amendments to the Bill aimed at keeping 47 institutes of excellence out of the purview of reservation. Raja said the government should not rush with the Bill and allow it to pass through due procedural mechanism. The amendments proposed by a group of Dalit ministers and MPs were being watered down by the government, he said. Therefore, a hasty Bill in Lok Sabha will not serve any purpose and might still contain such provisions that are anti-reservation and dilute reservation in all classes of posts and in all categories of posts,he said. The CPI leader said that by rushing with the Bill, the government was still trying to play into the hands of anti- reservation lobby by not mentioning it in promotion, in classes and in all categories of posts clearly in the Bill, already passed by Rajya Sabha last year which yet to come to Lok Sabha. Source: PTI
[ZESTCaste] Maya takes credit for stalling reservation bill
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Lucknow/Maya_takes_credit_for_stalling_reservation_bill/articleshow/4163654.cms Maya takes credit for stalling reservation bill 21 Feb 2009, 0343 hrs IST, TNN LUCKNOW: Chief minister Mayawati on Friday patted her back for opposing the controversial Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (reservation in posts and services) bill 2008, which she claimed eventually forced the union government to withdraw the proposed legislation. The bill was to relax reservation rules for appointment of teachers in premier institutes like IITs. However, the CM described it as anti-Dalit and slammed all the political parties for not raising a voice against the bill. She said that it was because of BSP's opposition, both inside and outside the Parliament, which stopped the government from getting the bill passed in a hushed manner. Mayawati also said that her party MPs had requested LS Speaker Somnath Chaterjee to stop the bill from being passed as it was against the spirit of the Constitution which provided reservation to Dalits in government jobs and services. However, the Speaker did not pay attention to the demand, forcing BSP MPs to protest in the house, which led to adjournment and ultimately foiled the bid to get the legislation passed in a clandestine manner. Meanwhile, state president of BSP in a statement slammed SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav for criticising the government for spending money on constructing parks and statues. He said that no development work had been adversely affected by construction of parks and statutes.
[ZESTCaste] Bringing development to the bahujan within the bahujan
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/bringing-development-to-the-bahujan-within-the-bahujan/426643/ Bringing development to the bahujan within the bahujan Sudheendra Kulkarni Posted online: Feb 22, 2009 at 0118 hrs H.L. Dusadh is not the typical high-society Delhi intellectual one sees at the India International Centre and other usual places in the seminar circuit. He, like crores of other Indians, is a victim of linguistic discrimination that is as odious, if less subtle, as caste discrimination. For our intellectual establishment displays an arrogant notice at the entrance of its privileged enclave: 'Entry only for those who speak English.' Dusadh doesn't, and most of his colleagues don't. They write only in Hindi. But the work that they have produced on Dalit empowerment, with meagre resources at their disposal and no institutional research support, is voluminous in quantity, substantive in quality and displays a rare kind of transformational passion that only those with deep grassroots social involvement can summon. I consider myself fortunate in having come to know Dusadh and his group, which calls itself Bahujan Diversity Mission (BDM). We have been interacting for close to a year now. Our dialogue has been especially rewarding for me since it has somewhat bridged the differences that separate us. I am proud of my Hindu roots. Many intellectuals belonging to this group are religious rebels who are angry with traditional Hinduism. I work for the BJP, whereas they have no affinity with it. But if these differences have not come in the way of our interaction, it is partly because we have a common link in Dr Sanjay Paswan, a former BJP MP from Bihar who was also a minister in the Vajpayee government. I have always admired Paswan for his dedication to the cause of Dalits' all-round progress. I was an avid reader of Vanchit Vaani (Voice of the Excluded), the magazine that he used to edit. Dusadh, bespectacled, bearded, soft-spoken and frail on account of all the hardships he has faced in life, responded to Kanshi Ram's call of 'Pay Back to Your Society' and made research and writing his lifelong activity. He believes that Kanshi Ram, founder of the Bahujan Samaj Party, was not merely an excellent organiser and a farsighted political leader but also an original thinker. Kanshi Ram's principal goal was to achieve for Dalits social equality and economic empowerment. However, he was firm in his belief that this goal can be reached only by achieving political influence initially, and political power ultimately. Most of his life was spent in pursuing the first objective of making the BSP politically influential through ceaseless mobilisation of Dalit intellectuals, employees and masses. Towards the end of his life, the BSP also gained partial political power. His achievement was all the more remarkable since he succeeded where traditional Ambedkarite movements had failed?namely, in transforming mobilisation into legislative strength. Mayawati, Kanshiram's successor, has taken the party considerably ahead along that path by adopting an unusual tactic of social alliance building?of bringing Dalits and Brahmins together in Uttar Pradesh. But the strategy, according to Dusadh and his colleagues, remains the same. Tactics are subservient to strategy. I shall not dwell here on Dalit intellectuals' dilemma over Mayawati's brand of governance, characterised as it is by rampant corruption and, lately, criminalisation. It is the kind of dilemma that all politically committed intellectuals experience, to a lesser or greater degree, with regard to the parties they support. What interests me, instead, is the concept of 'Bahujan Diversity' that Dusadh and his colleagues have been advocating. Their basic proposition is well known: India's social diversity is just not reflected in its economic profile. A small minority, belonging overwhelmingly to upper castes, is rich and privileged, whereas the majority (Bahujan), comprising the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, OBCs and others, is excluded from the nation's progress and prosperity. How can India's social diversity be fairly represented in its development? Dusadh invokes a slogan that Kanshi Ram had coined: 'Jiski jitni sankhya bhaari, uski utni bhaagidaari' (Numerically proportionate share to each caste or social group). I consider this formula flawed and unworkable. Neither democracy nor any dynamic economic system can sustain it. Another flaw: India is an integral, united and self-reforming entity, not a numerical aggregation of separate and unchanging social groups. But Dusadh, who is the president of BDM, and his colleagues have also been advancing a related concept of diversity promotion, which deserves serious consideration. Its primary virtue is that it takes the debate on affirmative action beyond the limits of reservation in jobs. For example, Dr Vijaykumar Trisharan, a BDM activist from Jharkhand, writes categorically that Dalit liberation is impossible
[ZESTCaste] Kanshi Ram Shahri Samagraya Vikas Yojna developed
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Allahabad/Kanshi_Ram_Shahri_Samagraya_Vikas_Yojna_developed/articleshow/4163383.cms Kanshi Ram Shahri Samagraya Vikas Yojna developed 21 Feb 2009, 0633 hrs IST, Ashraf Jamal, TNN ALLAHABAD: Although the state government takes the name of Dalit icon Kanshi Ram with reverence but the same spirit is ironically not seen in the implementation of the project named after him- Kanshi Ram Shahri Samagraya Vikas Yojna. Despite the fact that the government has stopped sanctioning money for the project, the reality is that even the money allocated under the project two years back has not been utilized for the comprehensive civic development of the selected wards. The most visible apathy regarding the implementation of the project is being witnessed in the Katra ward which has been selected under the Kanshi Kanshi Ram Shahri Samagraya Vikas Yojna two years back. About 1 crore and 25 lakh rupees were sanctioned for the holistic civic infrastructure development of this ward but only limited amount of work has been completed while the rest work is pending and the vast amount of money sanctioned for the project is lying unutilized. Due to the non utilization of the money in the ward, proper civic development of the area is hanging in doldrums. As a result, street are full of potholes, half of the street lights are functioning, number of electric poles installed are also less in number than the sanctioned number of poles. Out of the various works which are lying pending in the ward include repairing of the streets of the Machli Bazar costing about Rs. 17 lakh, repair of the roads in Katra Agrahara costing about Rs. 23 lakh, street behind the Punjab National Bank costing about Rs.6 lakh, only 50 per cent of electric fittings have been installed. Out of the four number of semi-high mast light, only two have been installed. Speaking about the negligent attitude of Allahabad Municipal Corporation, Anand Agarwal, corporator of Katra ward said that I was quite hopeful that my area would be completely transformed as it would be gifted with proper civic infrastructure due to its inclusion under the Kanshi Ram Yojna but all my hopes have been dashed. Most of the money sanctioned for the project is lying unutilized due to the apathy of Allahabad Municipal Corporation and the allied bodies. It is pertinent to mention that Kanshi Ram Shahri Samagraya Vikas Yojna is the project regarding the holistic civic development of the selected wards. The ward would have the proper facility of roads, adequate development of the streets of the lanes, provision of proper drainage, street lighting and proper system of cleanliness and sanitation in the area. Pointedly, about four wards were selected in the first phase of the Kanshi Ram Shahri Samagraya Vikas Yojna which included the ward of Katra. The other selected wards included the ward of Jayantipur, Sulemsarai and Muthiganj-II.
[ZESTCaste] Award for Nikam
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Mumbai/Award_for_Nikam/articleshow/4157610.cms Award for Nikam 20 Feb 2009, 0332 hrs IST, TNN MUMBAI: Special public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam was on Thursday awarded for his legal services in memory of late freedom fighter Dadasaheb Undalkar at Udale in Satara district. Nikam was awarded for his contribution to the nation and society at large''. Nikam is known for fighting high profile cases such as the serial Bombay bomb blast case of 1993, the Pramod Mahajan murder trial, Khairlanji Dalit massacre case. He has also recently been appointed to conduct the case of 26/11 terror attack. Those present at the function were President Pratibha Patil, speaker of Maharashtra legislative council Shivajirao Deshmukh and revenue minister Patangrao Kadam.
[ZESTCaste] Abject poverty drives Dalit to end life
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Kanpur/Abject_poverty_drives_Dalit_to_end_life/articleshow/4157071.cms Abject poverty drives Dalit to end life 20 Feb 2009, 0433 hrs IST, TNN KANPUR: Unable to bear the expenses of his daughter's eye treatment, a 35-year-old Dalit, Saligram, allegedly committed suicide in the Madanpur village, under Bidhnoo police station, here on late Wednesday night. According to reports, Saligram's daughter Komal, one of his three children, was bed-ridden with some eye ailment. The police said, around 6 am on Thursday, villagers discovered his body hanging from a `neem' tree in the fields of one Ram Master of the same village. Although no suicide note was found, villagers claimed he had been depressed for sometime due to acute financial crunch that was unabling him to get his daughter treated. Finding it difficult to make ends meet, they even used to burn tyres to prepare `chapattis', the villagers claimed. His widow Pushpa informed the police: A local eye specialist had examined Komal's eyes and had demanded a sum of Rs 25,000 for treatment. Only a couple of days ago, he had returned home with poison and had asked me to consume it and serve to children as well, as he was not able to look after his children properly. When Pushpa scolded him, he left home on Wednesday night and on Thursday morning, his body was found. The police have sent the body for autopsy.
[ZESTCaste] MRPS men attack houses of AP ministers, MLAs
http://www.samaylive.com/news/mrps-men-attack-houses-of-ap-ministers-mlas/609800.html MRPS men attack houses of AP ministers, MLAs Published: Sat, 21 Feb 2009 at 14:51 IST Hyderabad, Feb 21 : Political activists demanding early classification of Scheduled castes went on a rampage in Andhra Pradesh today and attacked houses of two ministers and some MLAs. The activists of Madiga Reservation Porata Samiti (MRPS) are demanding that the Centre immediately table a bill for classification of Scheduled Castes in the state. MRPS men attacked the residence of state transport minister Kanna Laxminarayana in Guntur and excise minister Jakkampudi Ramamohan Rao in Rajahmundry, police sources said, adding no damage was reported in these two incidents. Besides, they also vandalised the office of sub-registrar in Secunderabad, the houses of Kaavali MLA Magunta Parvatamma in Sri Potti Sriramulu Nellore district, Nagaram MLA P Rajeswari Devi and Kakinada MLA M Gopala Krishna in East Godavari district. In another incident in East Godavari, MRPS workers detained Rajolu MLA Krishnam Raju after attacking his house. In Tirupati, they reportedly tried to attack the residence of local P Chinta Mohan but police thwarted their attempt. (MORE)
[ZESTCaste] Dalits rally behind Kharge
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/Dalits-rally-behind-Kharge/rssarticleshow/4170800.cms Dalits rally behind Kharge 22 Feb 2009, 2050 hrs IST, TNN MYSORE: Dalit organizations appear to be up in arms against the Congress leadership for its reported move to remove Mallikarjuna Kharge from the post of Opposition leader in the state assembly. A day after state Youth Congress president and legislator Krishna Byregowda faced wrath of dalit youths at a party meeting in Chamarajnagar, NSUI volunteers and Youth Congress workers staged a dharna at the city Congress office on the Sayyaji Rao Road on Sunday. At the Youth Congress workers' meeting at Chamarajnagar, some dalit youths led by local leaders questioned the silence of the Congress leaders on the high command's move. However, Krishna Byregowda succeeded in cooling down the tempers of youths by assuring them of conveying their feelings to the high command. In Mysore, Youth Congress workers who protested the high command's move felt that the Congress is not recognizing the loyalty and dedication of the party leaders.
[ZESTCaste] Voices and views from the margin
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Pune/Voices-and-views-from-the-margin/articleshow/4167483.cms Voices and views from the margin 22 Feb 2009, 0333 hrs IST, Umesh Isalkar Swati Shinde, TNN PUNE: Today, when globalisation seems to have taken over every form of art and culture everywhere in the world, there's still one form of writing that thrives on being different, driving home the idea that every country, and every local community within that country, has different cultures and different histories. These marginalised cultures which flourishes away from the mainstream, were called subaltern' by Italian Marxist thinker Antonio Gramsci. Starting February 25, writings from the subalterns will be the focus of attention at a two-day national seminar on Indian Writing in English (IWE) and in English Translation organised by the Department of English, University of Pune (UoP). By focusing on subaltern expressions in Indian writing in English, the seminar not only makes a case for subaltern literature and its rise in the second half of the 20th century, but also emphasises how this enables turning away from white western supremacy in literature towards embracing the new subaltern voices that have recently emerged, says professor B S Korde, head of the department of English UoP. Usually, mainstream literature has a pre-existing, pre-compiled traditional literary history in the form of major written and oral traditions from ancient times, and latter-day writers, artists, and critics depend on these forms. However, if you talk about tribal literature, folk literature, Dalit literature or Dalit women literature, which form the major part of subaltern literature, these literatures need to create their own philosophical base. Nothing is given' to these literatures, says professor G Manoja from Andhra Pradesh, one of the participants of the seminar. Thus, subaltern literature, unlike Marxist literature, does not talk about the class struggle between the rich and the poor, but the struggle between castes, seen from the point of view of the lower caste, the have-nots, the minority, the marginal, the subaltern. The entire ideology of subaltern literature revolves around this, says Rahul Pungaliya, lecturer of English at the Abasaheb Garware College. Initially, subaltern literature concentrated on the study of peasant and tribal insurgency in South Asia. Their main argument was that colonial, nationalist and Marxist historiography of this region had ignored the importance of such insurgencies, Pungaliya adds. In recent times, during discussions about Indian society and history, the idea of subaltern has been represented in a more modern form. But, whether subaltern literature should be created by those belonging to the oppressed backward communities or whether it should be about them, is the question that needs to be addressed first. Says Pungaliya, Authentic subaltern literature will be written by those who have suffered the marginalisation. It can be studied by all but created only by the subaltern class itself. He substantiated the argument by citing a few examples from Indian Writing in English. If you look at Mulk Raj Anand's novel Coolie' or Raja Rao's writings, it is about the suffering of the Dalit and the downtrodden, penned by the upper caste writer. That's why it lacks perspicacity and authenticity. There is a charitable attitude towards the suffering of the oppressed class, instead of pain and anger, which you find in regional Dalit literature. Like the pulsating, robust and yet angst-driven African-American literature in the US, Dalit writing is characterised by a new level of subaltern pride, militancy, creativity and above all, the use of the pen as a weapon, says Arpita Mukhopadhyay, a participant from Kolkata. On her paper in the seminar, Mukhopadhyay is going to stress on social exclusion as reflected in Dalit woman writing. This Dalit literature, which looks at history and current events from a Dalit point of view, has come to occupy a niche in the body of Indian literary expression, says Anil Adagale, a lecturer of English at the Symbiosis College of Arts and Commerce. Similarly, tribal literature has also chipped in to lend a new subaltern perspective to literature. Explaining its contribution in subaltern literature, Pungaliya says, If we consider poetry of adivasi poet Waharu Sonawane or the prose of adivasi novelist Anjubai Gavit, they have used for the first time tribal languages creating alternative to the standard Marathi. Even though their work is yet to be translated into English, they still prove to be radically new voice in literature. However, despite all this progress in subaltern literature, it still continues to face challenges from different quarters. For R Raj Rao, professor at the department of English, UoP, this form of literature does not often find space in the academic syllabus. While we at the university are making an effort to bring about an awareness and promote
[ZESTCaste] BSP will not give ticket to Atiq Ahmad: Mayawati
http://www.newkerala.com/topstory-fullnews-98039.html BSP will not give ticket to Atiq Ahmad: Mayawati Lucknow, Feb 21: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati Saturday said her Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) would not field controversial Samajwadi Party parliamentarian Atiq Ahmad in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. 'Our political rivals have spread rumours that Ahmad is going to fight the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls on a BSP ticket. But I want to make it clear that he will not be allowed to contest as a BSP candidate under any circumstances,' Mayawati said during a rally in Bhadohi district. She was campaigning for the by-elections in Bhadohi scheduled for Feb 26. Atiq is in Naini jail in Allahabad district on charges of killing Raju Pal, a former BSP legislator from Allahabad. 'Pal was very dear to us. How can BSP allot a ticket to Ahmad who has been charged with killing of one of our activists?' said Mayawati. Ahmad, an MP from Phoolpur in Allahabad district, had voted against the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government in July 2008 and announced that he would support the BSP chief. Since then rumours were rife that Ahmad could contest the Lok Sabha polls on the BSP ticket. --- IANS
