Gandhinagar:

Independent MLA from Morva Hadaf constituency of Panchmahals district in Gujarat, Bhupendra Khant, whose caste certificate has once again been invalidated by a scrutiny committee headed by Tribal Development Commissioner R J Makadia, putting his membership of Gujarat assembly from the ST reserved seat in danger, today said that he would move to court again against the decision of the committee.

Khant said that he would move to Gujarat High Court soon to challenge the decision of the committee. ‘I am taking legal advice and If the need be I will also take it to the supreme court. I will fight till the highest level,’ he said.

Khant, who had announced support for congress after winning as a party rebel today attended the assembly proceedings on the second day of the budget session. He did not walk out of the house with Congress and remained seated in the house.
Earlier, the same committee had invalidated his caste certificate as ST (Hindu Bhil) last month after which on January 24, the Gujarat HC gave him partial relief quashing the earlier order of the committee and instructed it to hear Khant and take a decision accordingly by February 21.

Notably, 38 year old Khant, son of an OBC father V K Khant and ST mother and former Congress MLA from the same seat, late Savita Khant who died of a cardiac arrest soon after her victory in 2012, had filed a petition in the court challenging the scrutiny committee order last month.

Khant, who had contested the seat as an independent revolting with his party Congress and emerged victorious had later announced his support to the party. Congress had given the seat to its ally Bharatiya Tribal Party led by Chhotu Vasava. Later a complaint challenging his caste certificate was filed before the administration for the examination of which the committee was constituted.

Khant , who had submitted documents before the committee after HC order, maintained that there was nothing wrong with his caste certificate but he was being targeted owing to political reasons. As per law the son of a non-tribal father and tribal mother was entitled to be treated as ST.

Interestingly Congress had expelled him owing to his candidature as independent but the party apparently put the red carpet before him following his victory. He had also met Congress president Rahul Gandhi in Ahmedabad last month. BTP candidate Kalpesh Damor who lost against him as Congress supported candidate was also said to be instrumental in raking up his caste certificate issue.

DeshGujarat