Nine killed in Indian caste protests

At least nine people have been killed after protests in ten Indian states turned violent on Monday.

Tens of thousands of members of the Dalit (formerly untouchable) community took to the streets to “protest against a Supreme Court order that they say weakens a law designed to protect lower caste communities,” the BBC reports.

The Times of India says six people were killed in Madhya Pradesh, two in Uttar Pradesh and one in Rajasthan as the protesters resorted “to violence that was unprecedented in intensity and scale”.

India’s law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said that the government does not agree with the Supreme Court’s ruling. He has filed a review petition requesting a review of the judgment.

In the Hindu caste system, Dalits are traditionally on the lowest rung. Despite being unconstitutional, discrimination by members of higher castes is still common, with many refusing them entry to homes or temples, or to share eating utensils with them.