Giving a strong message the Supreme Court has ruled out a stay on the SC/ST Act. The court was hearing a review petition filed by the government to reconsider the order on the amendment of the Schedule Caste and Schedule Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act 1989. The apex court has asked all parties to submit detailed replies within two days. It will hear the matter after 10 days.
This will be a disappointment to the protestors, who were hoping for a stay order on the amendments. Various Dalit organisations had called for a nationwide bandh on Monday to protest against two key changes made by the Supreme Court in the SC/ST Act on March 20. The Bandh turned violent, disrupted rail and road traffic in across the country including Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat and Rajasthan, leading to the death of more than seven people, even as the government filed a review petition before the Supreme Court.
The protestors alleged that the changes have diluted the Act. On March 20, the apex court, in a bid to check misuse of the SC/ST Act, ruled that preliminary enquiry in a case under the Atrocities Act would be done by the DSP to ensure the allegations are not frivolous, and to avoid the false implication of an innocent, according to ANI.
The court also held that a government official cannot be prosecuted on a mere allegation of committing an offence under the Act without the sanction of the appointing authority.
However, the home minister Rajnath Singh in his statement to the Lok Sabha today denied this charge.