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Madhya Pradesh Law Minister PC Sharma has announced that cases filed on April 2, 2018 Bharat Bandh, which was held to protest against the Supreme Court’s decision to read down the SC/ST Act, will be withdrawn. Sharma added that similar cases in the last 15 years filed by the BJP will also be withdrawn.
The move comes in response to Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati’s ultimatum to the Congress to withdraw the cases. Otherwise, the party “will reconsider its decision” to give outside support to the newly formed governments in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.
The Congress, which recently wrested the Hindi heartlands from the BJP, had fallen two seats short of majority in Madhya Pradesh with 114 seats. In that case, the BSP, which had won two seats, offered to provide outside support to the Grand Old Party to form the government in the state. It is to save this political alliance that the party seems to be bowing down to the BSP's demands.
On April 2, 2018, Dalit groups had called for a nationwide bandh to protest against the reading down of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act 1989. Nine people were reportedly killed – six were from Madhya Pradesh, two from Uttar Pradesh and one from Rajasthan – after Dalit outfits turned violent during the protests, and thousands were arrested for rioting.
The outrage by Dalit outfits was due to the March 20, 2018 ruling of the Supreme Court which laid that a government official cannot be persecuted on a mere allegation of committing an offence under the act without the sanction of the appointing authority. Citing prevention of frivolous allegations and false implication of innocents, the top court said preliminary inquiry into the case will be done by a Deputy Superintendent of Police.
The Centre had promptly filed a review petition challenging the top court's decision, but it wasn't admitted. Following vehement protests, the Union government passed a legislation in August 2018 revoking the Supreme Court ruling.
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