Govt not diluting SC/ST Act, all parties in LS must maintain peace: Rajnath

The government has no plan to do away with quota policy for Dalits and tribes, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said on Tuesday.

The assurance came a day after violent protests claimed nine lives against a Supreme Court order that dilutes a law on preventing atrocities against the marginalized communities in the country.

Speaking in the Lok Sabha, Rajnath Singh dubbed as rumours speculation that the government wanted to end the reservation system. "Rumours are being spread about reservation policy, it is wrong.

"I appeal to all political parties to help in maintaining peace and amity in the country," he said amid noisy protests in the House.

Opposition members shouted slogans and were on their feet in protest against the Supreme Court's March 20 order diluting certain provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.

Rajnath Singh said the government acted swiftly and had already filed a petition in the top court seeking review of its order.

Trinamool Congress' Kalyan Banerjee countered this, saying the government's Additional Solicitor General had given his consent to the Supreme Court's decision of dilution.

Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia said the "dilution in the Act has already been done" and the opposition parties "want to discuss it" in the House.

AIADMK members, meanwhile, created further ruckus and gathered near Speaker Sumitra Mahajan's podium demanding an early constitution of the Cauvery Water Management Board that would oversee a water sharing arrangement between the Tamil Nadu, Karantaka, Kerala and Puducherry.

Scindia also raised the issue of no-confidence motion moved by the opposition against the government.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar said the government was ready for debating the motion and blamed the Congress for creating disruptions.

"They are trying to halt the democratic process in the House," Ananth Kumar said.

Speaker Mahajan said she was unable to proceed with the no-confidence motion notice and adjourned the House for the day.

It is the last week of the Budget session that began on January 29 and went on break on February 9.

The session resumed on March 5 and is to conclude on April 6.

The post-break part of the session has been completely washed away amid an unending logjam in both Houses of parliament. Important budget bills were passed without debate amid protests.