Proposed classification of SCs poses threat to national unity, says Chinta Mohan

Chinta Mohan warns against SC classification, calls for unity to prevent regional split and protect financial equity.

Former Union Minister and Congress leader Chinta Mohan on Wednesday alleged that the proposed classification of Scheduled Castes poses a threat to national unity, and cautioned that going ahead with the initiative would split the country into north and south regions within two decades.

Speaking at a press conference, Mr. Mohan opposed the formation of a single-member Commission by the Andhra Pradesh government to study the classification of SCs, and said the SCs must remain united in order to put an end to the proposed classification exercise in the State. He urged immediate action to protect SC unity, prevent privatisation, and ensure equitable financial policies.

He linked Andhra Pradesh’s bifurcation into Andhra and Telangana to caste-based divisions and accused the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) of exploiting caste rifts for their own agendas. 

He condemned efforts to privatise the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant, a project he credited to the struggles of farmers and laborers and the Congress Party’s leadership under Indira Gandhi. He accused corporate entities of targeting the plant’s 25,000 acres for profit and criticized former Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu for pushing the plant into financial crisis.

Highlighting inequalities in bank loans, Mr. Chinta Mohan questioned the waiver of ₹40,000 crore in loans for industrialists, while SC and ST communities, comprising 25% of the population, received less than 1% of loans.