Congress shouldn't politicize Bharat Bandh: Paswan

In response to the ongoing nationwide protest called by several Dalit organisations against the Supreme Court's ruling on amendments under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act 1989, Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan on Monday said that the Congress party should not react as they never honoured 'BR Ambedkar' during their regime.

"One can understand if people protest, but why is Opposition (Congress) playing politics? Parties like Congress who did not give Bharat Ratna to BR Ambedkar, and are now acting like his followers," said Ramvilas Paswan.

During a press conference in New Delhi on Monday, he further said that it is during the VP Singh government, that a portrait of BR Ambedkar was installed and was posthumously honoured with the Bharat Ratna.

To check the misuse of the SC/ST act, the Supreme Court, on March 20, laid down some provisions before implicating someone under the said law.

The top court directed that a preliminary inquiry would be conducted by the Deputy Superintendent of Police to ensure that allegations were not frivolous and to avoid the false implication of an innocent.

The court, while introducing a provision for anticipatory bail in the act, also held that a government official cannot be prosecuted on a mere allegation of committing an offence under the Act, without the sanction of an appointing authority.