Caste Row: Scrutiny Panel Reserves Verdict On Pratima Bagri's Caste Certificate

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The Scrutiny Committee heard the case challenging the caste certificate of Minister of State Pratima Bagri on Monday. The committee heard both sides, including the complainant, and reserved its verdict.

Bagri presented 110-year-old records to prove that her caste is not registered as Rajput anywhere. She maintained that the Bagri caste belongs to the Scheduled Caste category.

The committee is likely to deliver its verdict in one or two weeks. The hearing was conducted by the committee headed by Gulshan Bamra, principal secretary, Tribal department.

Complainant Pradeep Ahirwar appeared with documents to support his allegations. He claimed that in 1950, the Bagri caste was not listed as a Scheduled Caste in Satna district.

Similarly, he alleged that in the 1961 and 1971 Census, the Bagri caste was not listed as a Scheduled Caste in Satna but was counted as Rajput.

After the hearing, Ahirwar told Free Press that if the verdict did not go in his favour, he would again knock on the doors of the High Court. He remained before the scrutiny committee for almost an hour.

Meanwhile, Pratima Bagri, who represents the Raigaon Assembly seat in Satna, defended her caste status by presenting various documents, including legal records.

Later, speaking to Free Press, she said that the Bagri community has no 'Roti & Beti' relationship with the Kshatriya community.

She alleged that a conspiracy had been hatched against her and that a gang was involved in it.

She further claimed that the complainant was anti-women and unable to accept that a woman from the Scheduled Caste community had become a minister.

Bagri also said that the Congress had itself fielded a Bagri candidate from the reserved Scheduled Caste seat. She said the party had twice given tickets to candidates from the Bagri community from the Raigaon Assembly seat.

Her grandfather, late Jugal Kishore Bagri, was elected MLA a record five times, but no such objection was raised then.

Committee member cites key submission

One of the scrutiny committee members, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Pratima Bagri told the panel that before 1976, no caste certificates were issued to the Bagri community.

Moreover, it had not been confirmed so far that the Bagri caste has a 'Roti Beti' relationship with the Rajput community. The member said this could work in her favour, but the final decision rests with the committee.