SC/ST Act: Stone pelting on buses in Maha

Incidents of stone pelting on buses were reported here in north Maharashtra today as several Dalit organisations expresses their concerns over the dilution of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

The Dalit groups had called for a Bharat Bandh today demanding restoration of the Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act in its original form.

"Protesters pelted stones on four state transport buses, including the Shahada-Padsalda bus, at Shahada in Nandurbar district," a police official told PTI.

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.

Notably, Dalit organisations, including the Dalit Shoshan Mukti Manch, and some political parties fear that the dilution of the SC/ST act might lead to increase in violence against Dalits.