Protests over Centre's decision to file SC/ST review petition in Supreme Court, 1 dead in Madhya Pradesh

One person was killed in Madhya Pradesh's Morena district as protests over Centre's decision to file the review petition on the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe Protection(SC/SC) Act turned violent on Monday.

The protesters came out on the streets in Jaipur, Dehradun, Barmer over Centre's alleged dilution of the SC/ST Act.

Protesters in Dehradun forced shops to close down. In Bihar, protesters stopped trains with various groups including CPIML activists blocking trains in Arrah.

Protests turned violent in Barmer, Rajasthan as cars and buses were burnt.

The protests were also witnessed at Ambala and Rohtak in Haryana as well as in the common capital of Chandigarh. Amid tight security arrangements, the Dalits held protests at Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur, Ropar, Bathinda, Amritsar and Ferozepur in Punjab over the reported dilution of the Act.

Meanwhile, Delhi Police said it had deployed its personnel in several areas with key officers posted in various locations to maintain law and order.

Earlier on Monday, Law and Justice minister Ravi Shankar Prasad  said that the government has filed a review petition on Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe Protection(SC/ST) Act in the Supreme Court. The Punjab government stepped up security as protesters called for a nationwide strike over the issue. 

Protesters clashed with Police in Ranchi as the strike-call turned violent on Monday.

Union Minister of Law Ravi Shankar Prasad had informed on Sunday that the government will file a review petition against the Supreme Court judgment regarding the legal clause of immediate arrest and registration of alleged cases under Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act 1989.

On government's latest move, Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi said: "Of course a review petition over SC/ST protection act should be filed and its the right of the government, adding,"the basic question is to why they were unable to present the case properly before SC and lost, an inquiry is needed on it."

On March 20, India's top court had 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 any false implication of an innocent.

The opposition has been pressing the Centre to file a review petition against the recent top court ruling that diluted the provisions for immediate arrest under the SC/ST Act.

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".