Corrupt from SC/STs, OBCs, says Ashis Nandy

Jaipur, Jan 26 (IANS) Social scientist Ashis Nandy stirred up a row at Jaipur Literature Festival Saturday, saying most of the corrupt in the country were people from the other backwards classes (OBC), the Scheduled Castes (SCs) and the Scheduled Tribes (STs).

“It will be an undignified, even vulgar statement. But it is a fact that most of the corrupt come from the OBC, the Scheduled Castes and now increasingly the STs and as long as it is the case, the Indian republic will survive,” he said at a session titled “Republic of Ideas”.

“I will give an example. The state of least corruption is West Bengal. In 100 years, nobody from the backward classes and SC and ST have come anywhere near power in West Bengal. It is an absolutely clean state,” he said.

Leaders of the OBC and the SC and ST communities here threatened to lodge a police complaint against Nandy and demanded his expulsion from the event.

IANS 2013-01-26 16:04:35