The DMK government in Tamil Nadu had reserved Mayor post of Chennai for a woman belonging to the Scheduled Caste.
Accordingly, R Priya of the DMK was recently sworn in as the Mayor of Chennai. She had contested in the recently concluded urban local body elections in Tamil Nadu and emerged as winner from the Mangalapuram ward. Her father, R Rajan, is the area co-secretary for the DMK. Her grandfather Chengai Sivam was a former MLA from Perambur.
However, Priya’s claims of being a Dalit is being disputed as she is alleged to be a Christian.
Union of Catholic Asian News (UCA News) has published an article in which it has been stated that she is said to be a member of the Evangelical Church of India (ECI). The news outlet’s Twitter handle tweeted the article with the caption that Priya Rajan is a ‘Dalit Christian’.
After Priya’s victory, several social media posts have also added weight to the claims of she being a Christian.
One Christian man named Santhoshprem Vinfred claimed that Priya Rajan is his relative with late former DMK MLA Mr. Rajan being his own uncle.
Yet another post pointing to the inevitable . A guy named Santhoshprem vinfred(a practising Christian) says that his family member is the Chennai mayor. Link attached https://t.co/aeiKQ0qaCl. This needs to be looked into! pic.twitter.com/Fmw4gqGiEq
— karthik gopinath (@karthikgnath) March 6, 2022
Another Christian man in his Facebook had posted “Let us thank God for placing a Christian in power.” He also mentioned in his post that she is a member of the Otteri Evangelical Christians of India (ECI) Church in Tamil Nadu.
Priya after taking over as Mayor met with Bishop Ezra Sargunam, a rabid Christian fundamentalist who shares close ties with the DMK and is known for his hate speech against Hindus. Pictures of this meeting had gone viral on social media.
*Mayor of Chennai* is a member of *Ottery ECI Church*. She Went to visit *Bishop Ezra* to receive his blessings
Now, any doubt on Gopalapuram connection – Crypto.This is total injustice to Dalit community. pic.twitter.com/3Vm7EXGL8c
— Indu Makkal Katchi (Offl) 🇮🇳 (@Indumakalktchi) March 5, 2022
The Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order 1950 states that any person who professes a religion different from Hinduism, Sikhism or Buddhism shall cease to be a member of the Scheduled Caste (SC).
The Supreme Court in a 2015 ruling had said that once a person ceases to be a Hindu and becomes a Christian, the social and economic disabilities arising because of Hindu religion ceases and hence it is no longer necessary to give him/her protection meant for a Scheduled Caste member.
The apex court also held that a person from Christianity or Islam whose ancestors belonged to a caste categorised as a Scheduled Caste, will be entitled for reservation benefits, when the person returns back to the Indic faiths.
In February 2021, former Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad in response to a question in the Rajya Sabha said that as per the Constitution of India and Indian statute, Hindu persons eligible for reservation benefits, like those belonging to Scheduled Castes, cannot avail the same benefits if they convert to Christianity or Islam.
If at all, Priya Rajan’s religion is established as a Christian, her appointment as Mayor would become illegal and hence liable to be disqualified.
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