Chhattisgarh men stage nude protest demanding action against those who used fake caste certificates to get govt jobs

A group of men staged a nude protest in Chhattisgarh's capital Raipur on Tuesday demanding action against people who allegedly got government jobs using fake caste certificates. The police arrested 29 protesters as they marched towards the state legislative assembly. The four-day monsoon session of the assembly began on Tuesday. The protesters, most of them youngsters, belonged to the scheduled castes and scheduled tribes.

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They carried placards demanding action against government employees who used fake caste certificates to get jobs. As many as 29 protesters were taken into custody near Ama Seoni turn on Vidhansabha Road for staging a demonstration in an obscene manner, Raipur senior superintendent of police Prashant Agrawal told PTI.

A case was registered against them under sections 146 (rioting), 294 (obscene acts and songs) and 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) of the Indian Penal Code and provisions of Information Technology (IT) Act, and they were arrested, he said.

A local court sent them in judicial custody. Earlier, talking to reporters, one of the protesters said that an enquiry committee set up by the government found that 267 employees had used forged SC/ST certificates to get their jobs, but no action has been taken against them so far. "We went on a hunger strike seeking action against them, but our demand remained unheard. Hence, we are now staging a naked protest. We demand that the fake caste certificate holders be arrested and the authorities seize the properties they have acquired," he said, warning of more fierce demonstrations if the demands are not met.

The nude protest stunned passersby who shot videos. Many videos surfaced on social media.

The main opposition BJP slammed the Congress government over the protest and submitted a memorandum to Governor Biswabhusan Harichandan, seeking dismissal of the government. BJP MLAs led by Leader of Opposition in state assembly Narayan Chandel reached Raj Bhavan and submitted the memorandum. It said that for the first time in the history of the state such a nude protest was held, which was unfortunate and brought infamy to Chhattisgarh. The Congress government's inaction and divisive selfish politics have resulted in such a situation, the BJP said.

"The protestors had already informed the administration about their agitation but this insensitive government paid no heed to them. The youths were protesting against their rights being snatched using fake caste certificates,” it said. The saffron party also demanded release of the protestors.