Jamshedpur, March 25 -- Former Jharkhand Assembly leader of opposition (LoP) and former BJP MLA from Chandankyari Amar Kumar Bauri, a prominent SC leader from Jharkhand, welcomed the Supreme Court (SC) verdict on Tuesday concluding that only Hindus, Buddhists and Sikhs can claim scheduled caste (SC) status and people converting to other religions would not claim to be SC status and benefits after conversion. "We welcome today's SC verdict wholeheartedly. This was in the Constitution from the outset and the SC has once again defined it without any ambiguity. The Central Government and the state governments must ensure strict implementation and compliance of this SC order. The Constitution had kept Muslims and Christians outside the purview from the beginning as Islam and Christianity don't have any caste system. The SC-ST reservation and other benefits were enshrined in the constitution in the backdrop of untouchability and casteist injustice within the Hindu society. And Buddhism and Sikhism have emerged from the same Indian culture and society," Amar Kumar Bauri told HT on Tuesday. The former minister further said the SC had just upheld the already existing constitutional provision, which was not being implemented and complied with stringently across the country. "Anybody is free to convert to any religion they like out of love. But they should quit the reservation and other benefits meant for the SCs after converting and stop encroaching upon the rights and benefits of the poor and backward SC communities. This verdict will discourage conversion through allurement and fear," Bauri asserted....