Addressing the Himachal Pradesh assembly on Tuesday, social justice and empowerment minister Rajiv Saizal made shocking revelations about caste discrimination practices in the state. As mentioned in the reports, Saizal said that he and Nachan MLA Vinod Kumar were not allowed to enter a temple.
“I am witness to it. Even today, dalits cannot sit with general category people while having food,” he said.
The incident happened during his official visit to Nachan assembly constituency of Mandi district, when he and local MLA Vinod Kumar who was accompanying him, were not allowed to enter the temple.
Saizal however, did not mention the name of the temple, its location and the time when they were not allowed inside.
Saizal was speaking while participating in a discussion on a bill that extends reservation for SCs and STs in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies by another 10 years.
Earlier, Congress MLA from Kinnaur Jagat Singh Negi said that Dalits were not allowed to enter temples in some places in the state. The minister said he agreed with the Congress MLAs who had stated that Dalits are not allowed inside some temples.
