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Leaders of various political parties, cutting across their differences, approached President Ramnath Kovind here on Wednesday seeking his intervention to address the concerns among Dalit and Adivasi communities after a recent Supreme Court order that allegedly dilutes of the provisions of arrest in the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
Various Opposition parties handed over a memorandum to the President which said the judgement has come at a time when attacks against Dalits and Adivasis are on the rise. Congress president Rahul Gandhi said the dilution has to be viewed in this background. “The Supreme Court ruling diluting provisions of arrest in the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act comes in the backdrop of growing atrocities against Dalits and Adivasis across India,” he said on the Twitter. “Leaders from opposition parties will meet President Kovind this evening to share their concerns,” he said.
A delegation of the National Commission of Scheduled Castes (NCSC) met Kovind and recommended that the government file a review petition against the Supreme Court verdict on the SC/ST Act. The delegation said the apex court order will increase the suffering of victims of atrocities and create problems in securing justice for Dalits. The delegation led by Chairman Ram Shankar Katheria also submitted a representation to Kovind in this regard.
“The stark reality on the ground is that the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act is very weakly implemented and that in most cases the victims of atrocities are pitted against a system traditionally aligned against them and with an ingrained caste based prejudice against the SCs and STs,” the representation stated.
A delegation of MPs from Dalit and Adivasi communities from the ruling NDA camp met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the issue. Cabinet Minister for Food and Public Distribution Ram Vilas Paswan and Social Justice Minister Thawar Chand Gahlot met Modi and favoured a review petition on the issue. Gehlot has also sought the Law Minister’s opinion on the matter.
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