Supreme Court to hear Centre's plea on SC/ST amendment Act

New Delhi, Apr 3 Asserting that the legislature is touchy to the worries of the regressive groups, Home Minister Rajnath Singh today said it was not responsible for the dilution of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

Making a suo motu statement in the Lok Sabha during Zero Hour on the large scale violence during yesterday's Bharat Bandh, the home minister said eight people were killed - six in Madhya Pradesh and one each in Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, amid the bandh which likewise saw conflicts between the police and the dissenters.

"Through the House, I need to guarantee the general population that there has been no weakening at all by my administration, rather subsequent to coming to control and looking at the SC/ST aversion Atrocities Act, we have taken a choice to fortify it," he said.

Singh said there have been across the board bits of gossip with respect to the issue of reservation which are "false and unmerited" and the legislature was completely dedicated to ensure the enthusiasm of the SC/ST people group.

"I completely appreciate that there is across the board outrage among the general population following the Supreme Court arrange. I wish to educate the House that the Government of India was not party all things considered. Individuals have rioted," he said.

The Supreme Court had on March 20 "diluted" the provisions of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, deciding that administration hirelings ought not be captured without earlier endorse and private nationals, as well, be captured simply after a request under the law.

Opposing the verdict, several Dalit associations had called a 'Bharat bandh' yesterday in which a few savage episodes and bars of roads and rail tracks were reported from a few states.