Bharipa Bahujan Mahasangh leader Prakash Ambedkar on Monday said the Supreme Court and the Centre were responsible for violence in various States during the nationwide bandh called by Dalit outfits.
At least nine people were killed and many injured in violence as Dalit protesters blocked trains, clashed with police and set fire to vehicles across several States during the bandh against the alleged dilution of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
“Government and the Supreme Court are responsible for this violence. The Government is creating an unsafe atmosphere for Dalit communities while the apex court's recent order diluting the SC/ST Atrocities Act has forced the community to take to streets,” said Ambedkar, the grandson of Dalit icon B R Ambedkar.
He said the Government failed to act in time to avoid the spiral of violence. “I do not know who gave the call for the bandh. It was given on social media a few days back, however, the government did not take this call seriously,” said the Dalit leader who had spearheaded protests in Maharashtra in the wake of the caste clashes that broke out on January 1 in Koregaon Bhima in Pune district. The apex court, 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.
The verdict is being widely criticised by Dalits and the Opposition, who claim that the dilution of the Act will lead to more discrimination and crimes against the backward community. Ambedkar also attacked the Centre over recent incidents of communal violence in West Bengal and Bihar.