End Reservations For Scheduled Tribe Members Who Have Converted: BJP MP

BJP MP Kirodi Lal Meena on Tuesday demanded the government stop extending Scheduled Tribe reservation benefits to people who have converted to another religion.

Making a special mention in Rajya Sabha, Mr Meena said people who have converted to Christianity have given up on their culture, tradition and faith and still they are getting the benefits of reservation.

"It is ironic that religious converts take advantage of being a minority and reap double benefit as Scheduled Tribes which is completely unconstitutional. I, therefore, demand the government stop reservation being given to people from Scheduled Tribes who have converted," Mr Meena said.

He said there is no law or bill recognising Christians as Scheduled Tribes.

Meanwhile, Congress MP Phulo Devi Netam demanded a debt waiver for farmers and framing of rules for minimum support price for crops.

BJP member Vijay Pal Singh demanded the government form a committee for deciding eligibility of farmers for availing benefits of the Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme and fix their accountability on disbursal of money to eligible farmers.

BJP MP Anil Sukhdeorao Bonde said orange growers in Nagpur are suffering due to rise in import duty by Bangladesh. He asked the government to take up the issue with Bangladesh for reducing import duty or provide 25-30 per cent subsidy to them to support export.

Trinamool Congress MP Santanu Sen demanded regulation of advertisements related to high fat, sugar and salt products.

He said that according to the National Family Health Survey 2019-20, the proportion of obese women in India has gone up to 24 per cent from 20.6 per cent in 2015-16 and that of obese men has increased to 22.9 per cent from 18.9 per cent in 2015-16.

Mr Sen cited a study which established a correlation between such advertisements and obesity and demanded regulating them.

BJP member Ajay Pratap Singh demanded opening of a medical college in Sidhi in Madhya Pradesh when the Centre sets up the next round of colleges in the state.

YSR Congress member Vijayasai Reddy demanded incorporation of family doctor concept in the National Health Mission.

Expressing concern over Rs 10 lakh crore write-offs by banks in the last five years, Trinamool Congress MP Abir Ranjan Biswas demanded the government form a uniform policy to recover loans.

BJP member Biplab Kumar Deb requested the government to allocate land to the Assam Rifles for establishing a Sainik School either in Udaipur or Teliamura in Tripura.

Trinamool Congress MP Mausam Noor demanded that the population criteria for setting up Eklavya Model Residential School be revoked.

BJP member Ghanshyam Tiwari asked the government to take measures to stop misuse of antibiotics.

Congress MP Pramod Tiwari placed a request for declaring the Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project a national project.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)