Senior PPS Officer Sends 'Resignation' to President Kovind to Protest Against SC/ST Act Judgment

Lucknow: As Dalit organizations called for a nationwide bandh on Monday and incidents of violence rocked several states, a senior PPS officer of Uttar Pradesh Police, Bhim Priya Ashok sent his resignation to President Ram Nath Kovind and stated that he is worried about the condition of Dalits and backwards in the country and is deeply hurt.

In the letter written to President Kovind, Ashok has stated that he is making a very difficult decision and has even put forward some demands. In case these demands are not accepted, the officer wants his resignation to be accepted.

However, a PPS officer is not supposed to send his resignation to the President of India as the latter is not the appointing authority. He should instead address it to the Governor.

In his letter, Ashok has asked for the strengthening of the SC/SC Act and appealed to President Kovind to save the Parliamentary democracy and urged him to honour the ‘rule of law’ over ‘rule of judge’.

The Supreme Court had held on March 20 that police will hold an inquiry to ascertain the veracity of the complaint filed under the Act before acting on it. The Centre, in its review petition, urged the apex court to reverse its decision as “dilution of the law would shake the very object of the Act.”

In his appeal, Ashok has also asked to give enough representation to women in the judiciary. He has said that till now, women, Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Castes and minorities have not got their due representation in the judiciary.

Also, proper representation should be given to them in promotions.

On a day when two people died in Uttar Pradesh in the violence during Dalit protests, Ashok appealed to the youth to stay away from violence and maintain peace.

At least nine people were killed in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh on Monday while thousands were detained by the police and hundreds were left injured as the state and central governments struggled to control the massive protests that erupted across the north, west and east India over the Supreme Court’s alleged dilution of the SC/ST Act.