The protests following the ‘Bharat bandh’ called on Monday by several Dalit organisations against the alleged dilution of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act turned violent at various parts of the country.
According to media reports, the violent protests left one person dead in Morena in Madhya Pradesh after which curfew was imposed in the area.
Curfew has also been imposed in parts of Gwalior, while Section 144 (prohibits assembly of more than 4 people in the area) was imposed in Sagar.
Earlier on Monday, the protests grew violent with incidents of arson and vandalism being reported from states like Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Rajasthan.
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Amid raging protest, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh appealed for calm. He added that the allegation of Opposition is baseless and political parties must act responsibly.
A police station was set ablaze in UP’s Meerut as protests turned violent.
The Central government filed a review petition in the Supreme Court on Monday regarding its recent order of diluting certain provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.
Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad confirmed that the Centre had filed the petition after officials of his ministry were instructing “to examine the desirability of filing a review petition in the case”.
The Supreme Court on March 20 diluted the provisions of the SC and the ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, in a bid to protect honest public servants discharging bona fide duties from being blackmailed with false cases under the Act.
Dalit organisations, including the Dalit Shoshan Mukti Manch, and some political parties fear this dilution of the provisions might lead to increase in violence against Dalits.
Angry protesters blocked railway tracks at many places in Bihar. With posters, banners and flags, supporters of the Bhim Army and other Dalit organisations stopped over a dozen long-distance trains, leaving passengers stranded at Patna, Gaya, Jehanabad, Bhagalpur, Ara, Darbhanga, Araria, Nalanda and Hajipur railway stations.
Punjab, which has the largest share of Dalits in its total population across the country, has been put on high alert with hundred of security personnel deployed ahead of a protest. Internet services in the state have been suspended since 5 pm on Sunday and will continue till 11 pm today.
(With agency inputs)