SC/ST Act issue: Pb Cong submits memorandum to Governor

A delegation of Punjab Congress today met Governor VP Singh Badnore here and submitted a memorandum urging the Union government to safeguard the interests of the SC/ST community in the country.

Punjab Congress president Sunil Jakhar, who led the delegation, later said the NDA government had not pursued the case before the Supreme Court properly.

The Supreme Court had on March 20 "diluted" certain provisions of the SC/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.

"As the case has not been pursued properly, the spirit of the original Act got weakened and ultimately, this may make the law void. Had the central government presented the case befittingly in the Apex Court, it wouldn't have happened," said Jakhar.

"The government deliberately sent a junior law officer instead of Attorney General for the prosecution in this case and the incumbent could not put the case properly, this triggered unrest among SC/STs," he said.

Jakhar said it was the basic duty of any democratic government to protect the interests of the backward classes.

"But the Modi government has not proved to be fair on this score. In the last four years, there has been increase in incidents of oppression against the SC/ST communities across the country," he said.