The National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) Thursday wrote to Bihar’s Chief Secretary and Director General of Police (DGP) amid the controversy over RJD chief Lalu Prasad allegedly disrespecting Dr B R Ambedkar’s portrait. The letter dated June 19, signed by NCSC Joint Secretary H Kam Suanthang, said that it came to the commission’s notice from reports that Lalu Prasad had insulted Dr Ambedkar’s photo on June 11, during his 78th birthday celebrations. The Commission has directed the state’s top officials “to submit a report on action taken within 15 days”, warning that failure to respond could result in “summons under constitutional powers granted by Article 338”. The controversy erupted after a video from Lalu’s birthday celebration went viral, showing a party supporter allegedly placing Dr Ambedkar’s portrait near Lalu’s feet. On June 13, the Bihar State Commission for Scheduled Castes had already issued a notice referenced to the video, asking Lalu to “explain his side within 15 days”. The state commission said that “failure to respond would be interpreted as intentional disrespect” and will lead to “registration of a case under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act”. The ruling BJP and NDA allies criticised the incident, and accused Lalu of “insulting the architect of the Constitution” and “hurting Dalit sentiments”. Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary had called it an “unpardonable insult”. Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi, LJP (Ram Vilas) MP from Samastipur Sambhavi Choudhary, and other NDA leaders also said that the act was “disrespecting”and “insulting” to Dalits. BJP leaders have amplified the issue on social media and demanded a public apology from the RJD founder. Meanwhile, the RJD had dismissed the allegations as politically motivated, with party spokesperson Mrityunjay Tiwari claiming the video is being “misrepresented to polarise voters and malign Lalu’s image before the polls”.
