Udit Raj demanded the release of Chandrashekhar, the leader of Bhim Army (File)
BJP lawmaker Udit Raj on Tuesday spoke against the appointment of retired Supreme Court judge Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel as the National Green Tribunal chairman, saying it had angered Dalits as he was part of the court bench, the decisions of which went against the community.
Mr Raj, known for highlighting the issues concerning Dalits, raised the matter in the Lok Sabha and also demanded the release of the members of the backward community, who were arrested following a Bharat Bandh on April 2, which witnessed incidents of violence.
Other communities do not face such "injustice" when they agitate, he said.
The ruling party MP later tweeted, saying Mr Goel's appointment as the NGT chief, soon after he retired from the Supreme Court, amounted to a promotion for him and the decision had caused "anger and disappointment" among the Dalits.
BJP ally Lok Janshakti Party also raised the issue with its leader Chirag Paswan demanding that Mr Goel be removed.
Mr Raj also sought the release of the members of the backward community, who were arrested following the April 2 "Bharat Bandh" called by Dalit organisations.
Ten protestors were killed, of whom eight had fallen to bullets fired by "upper-caste" people who were angry at the Dalits for giving a call for "Bharat Bandh", he alleged.
Mr Raj also demanded the release of Chandrashekhar, the leader of Dalit organisation Bhim Army, who has been jailed on the charge of inciting violence.