Six policemen were injured and the protesters stopped a train in Kanpur, during the ‘Bharat Bandh’ against the SC/ST Act that evoked mixed response on Thursday.
The call for ‘Bharat Bandh’ was given by some upper caste organisations in protest against the recent amendments to the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act by Parliament to overturn a Supreme Court judgement.
Barring minor clashes at some places, life was by-and-large normal despite the bandh.
Reports from districts across the state said that life remained normal and all educational institutions, essential services remained unaffected and majority of business establishments also opened around noon on Thursday.
Minor clashes were reported from Ballia, Agra and Kanpur where protesters had arguments with the members of law enforcing agencies. However, the cops caned the trouble-makers and chased them away.
In Kanpur, the protesters stopped an intercity train at Panki railway station, but fled when the GRP and RPF personnel reached the spot.
A heavy police force was deployed in Gorakhpur, where the protesters blocked the Gorakhpur-Varansi national highway for three hours, affecting traffic movement.
In Sonebhadra district, the bandh had a good response, with minor incidents between the protestors and shopkeepers being reported from some places.
About 50 protesters were taken into custody after a clash in Robertsganj town, in which a young girl suffered minor burns, according to sub-divisional magistrate Sadab Alam.
A report from Ballia said that BJP MLA from Bairia, Surendra Singh, came out openly in support of the bandh.
“Upper-caste people made me MLA and not Muslims and Dalits. I am ready to sacrifice for the upper caste. If my upper caste supporters ask me I can also resign (from my seat) for their sake,” Singh said.
Some bandh supporters had heated arguments with BJP MLA Anand Swarup Shukla from Ballia Sadar, who refused to back them. Ballia district police chief Sriparna Ganguly said some people resorted to brick-batting in which six policemen were injured.
Normal life was affected in Agra where shops in main markets remained shut and agitators in several parts of the city blocked traffic. The administration deployed additional security forces to prevent any untoward incidents. At one place, the police resorted to lathicharge after some protesters tried to damage a bus. Various lawyers association which announced support to the bandh also organised meeting and attacked the BJP government for introducing the revised SC/ST Act which they said would only result in harassment of the upper caste members.
In Lucknow, advocates staged a protest at Mohanlalganj tehsil office.
Protesters burnt the effigy of the government in Kushinagar, whereas students staged protest at Sant Vinoba Bhave Degree College in Deoria and submitted a memorandum at the district magistrate’s office.
In Etah, the protesters gheraoed the house of MLA from Jalesar, Sanjeev Diwakar, who had to call the police.
The Supreme Court had on March 20 ruled out immediate arrests under the SC/ST Act and suggested a preliminary inquiry to ensure the allegations were not frivolous and to avoid the false implication of innocent persons. It also held that a government official could not be prosecuted under the SC/ST Act without the sanction of the appointing authority.
This decision had triggered nationwide protests by Dalit organisations, forcing the Centre to amend the SC/ST Act during the monsoon session of Parliament to overrule the apex court order.