Rights: Dalits converting to Islam or Christianity will not be eligible for contesting parliamentary or assembly elections from constituencies reserved for Scheduled Castes (SC), and cannot claim other reservation benefits.
This was stated by Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad in response to a question posed by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) member G V L Narasimha Rao. He also clarified that the rules do not apply to those adopting Hindu, Sikh, or Buddhist faiths.
On eligibility to contest from reserved constituencies, the minister said, “Para 3 of the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order outlines that… no person who professes a religion different from Hindu, Sikh, or Buddhist religion shall be deemed to be a member of a Scheduled Caste.”
Prasad, however, clarified that there was no proposal to bring in any amendment in the Representation of the People Act to debar SCs/Scheduled Tribes (STs) converting to Islam or Christianity, from contesting parliamentary or assembly elections.
Read this article on how India’s religious beliefs are holding back its economic growth.