leaders from opposition parties, led by Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, on Wednesday met President Ram Nath Kovind to share their concerns over the Supreme Court verdict diluting provisions of the SC-ST Atrocities Act. A number of parties have protested on the issue and demanded that the government seek an immediate review of the Supreme Court verdict or bring amendments to the law.
Earlier in the day, a delegation of NDA’s SC/ST MPs, led by lJP chief Ram Vilas Paswan and Union Social Justice Minister Thawarchand Gehlot, also met Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss the Supreme Court judgement.
“The President was quite positive and supportive. He said that action would be taken. He has said that he will assess the (Act) and take a review petition,” Rahul Gandhi said after meeting Kovind. leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad and senior Congress leaders Ahmed Patel, Anand Sharma, Kumari Selja, BSP leader Satish Chandra Mishra, Kanimozhi of DMK, Kupendra Reddy of JD(S), Vishambhar Prasad Nishad of Samajwadi Party, were amongst the others present. The leaders apprised Kovind of the rising atrocities on Dalits in the country and the recent SC judgement. They also submitted a signed letter to the President.
“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,” the leaders said in the memorandum.
NCP leader Vandana Chavan said: “We see that with the SC ruling, the provisions under the Prevention of Atrocities Act have got diluted and there is an increase in the number of cases against Dalits. Therefore, there has to be a review petition to review the act and it has to be filed by the government.”
From the government side, Gehlot also recently wrote to law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad about a review plea against the Supreme Court verdict. “It was a good and elaborate discussion with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the Supreme Court judgement on the SC/ST Act. Modi ji listened to us and heard our concerns,” Paswan told reporters after the meeting.
Earlier, a delegation of the National Commission of Scheduled Castes (NCSC) also met President Kovind in this regard. led by Chairman Ram Shankar Katheria, the delegation also submitted a representation to Kovind.
In its meeting with the President, the Commission communicated that that the people belonging to the SC community faced problems during the lodging of FIRs and subsequent investigations. It added that the first-hand experience of the members of the panel reveals that there were many hurdles for them in getting justice.