Bharat Bandh: Dalit protest death toll rises to 10; top 10 developments

The Bharat Bandh called by Dalit groups protesting the apparent dilution of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (SC/ST) Prevention of Atrocities Act by the Supreme Court recently left at least ten people dead and hundreds injured as incidents of violence were reported across several states on Monday. Protesters were reported to have blocked trains, clashed with police, and set fire to private and public properties, including police posts. At the moment, reports say schools will remain shut in Uttar Pradesh's (UP's) Agra, Hapur, and Ghaziabad over the bandh. Whether schools and colleges in other states and cities, too, will stay closed is not clear yet.

Meanwhile, the Narendra Modi-led government moved the Supreme Court seeking a recall of its judgment on the SC/ST Act. While the SC declined an urgent hearing on a writ petition filed by the All India Federation of SC/ST Organisations against the verdict, the Congress demanded that the Centre bring an amendment to the said law in Parliament or file a "curative petition" in the apex court.

The government will on Tuesday mention the review petition in the top court for an early hearing.

With the Bharat Bandh protest in Madhya Pradesh (MP) claiming six lives, additional police and anti-riot forces are being deployed across the state. The Dalit protests saw curfew being imposed at several places. The Union Home Ministry, for its part, rushed 800 anti-riot policemen to MP and UP, and asked all states to take preventive steps to maintain public order and ensure the safety of lives and property. Thousands of people were detained following widespread incidents of firing, vandalism, and arson across over 10 states, several of them being BJP-ruled.

The Bharat Bandh call was supported by nearly all Opposition parties, which, along with Dalit organisations and Dalit members of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its allies, had criticised the SC order on the SC/ST Act and asked the Centre to file a review petition. While the BJP accused Opposition parties of politicising the issue and contributing to the violence, the Opposition alleged that in several places, particularly in Agra and Gwalior, it was BJP workers who attacked protesters. The Congress, for its part, said that the Centre had taken the Bharat bandh call "lightly", which resulted in the violence.

The Supreme Court had on March 20 watered down certain provisions of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, to protect 'honest' public servants discharging bona fide duties from being blackmailed with false cases under the Act. The verdict is being widely criticised by Dalits and the Opposition who claim that the dilution of the Act will lead to more discrimination and crimes against the backward community.

Is the Bharat Bandh protest over? For now, it seems to be. However, while the country takes stock of the violence seen on Monday, the government's woes over the matter might not be over. Dalit organisations have planned a huge public meeting in September if the Centre does not meet their demands by then.

Here are the top 10 developments in the Bharat Bandh Dalit protests over The Supreme Court's SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act verdict:

2) Schools in UP cities shut today over Bharat Bandh: In the wake of the Bharat Bandh protests that turned violent, schools in UP's Hapur and Ghaziabad will remain shut on Tuesday. Schools in Agra will also remain closed. However, schools conducting board examinations in these three cities will remain open.

3) Modi government to bring up review petition in SC for early hearing today: Attorney General K K Venugopal will mention the Modi government's review petition on the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act verdict in the Supreme Court today for an early hearing, highly placed sources in the government told news agencies.

Read our full coverage on how the Bharat Bandh protest started and carried on through the day: Bharat Bandh: 9 dead, thousands arrested, 1,700 anti-riot personnel at work

4) SSB, STF to be deployed in MP today after six killed in Bharat Bandh: In the wake of violent protests, 16 additional companies of the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), four companies of the Rapid Action Force (RAF), two companies to the Special Task Force (STF), and 3000 trainee constables are being deployed across Madhya Pradesh today. At least six people were killed in Madhya Pradesh during the nation-wide Bharat Bandh protest. Subsequently, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan assured strict action against the perpetrators.

On Monday, after a student leader died in firing and several others were injured, curfew was also imposed in Morena, Gwalior, and Bhind districts of Madhya Pradesh.

Watch below how Bharat Bandh protesters pelted stones at the police in Bhind:

WATCH: Protesters resort to stone pelting in Bhind during #BharatBandh over the SC/ST Protection Act. #MadhyaPradesh pic.twitter.com/40KmhV3Ckm

— ANI (@ANI) April 2, 2018

5) High-alert in UP as two killed during Bharat Bandh: Two persons were killed and over 70 others, including policemen, injured in Uttar Pradesh as the state saw widespread violence after Dalit groups protested what they claimed was the "dilution" of the provisions of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Further, 448 people were arrested in the state. One person lost his life in Muzaffarnagar, while another was killed in Meerut, Principal Secretary Home Arvind Kumar told news agencies.

Several towns in western UP saw violence and in Meerut, a former BSP MLA Yogesh Verma, was among those arrested, police said. There were several incidents of violence in Meerut, including the torching of a police post. In neighbouring Muzaffarnagar, a man was killed and several vehicles were damaged, they added. "During the bandh, violence broke out in Muzaffarnagar, Hapur, Meerut, Agra and they were the most affected areas. Reports of violence have come from some other districts too. As of now, 448 persons have been detained in different districts. There were no incidents in 90 per cent of districts. We have sounded a high-alert in the state," DIG (Law and Order) Praveen Kumar told reporters.

Watch below how police thrashed Bharat Bandh protesters in Meerut:

#WATCH #BharatBandh over SC/ST protection act: Protesters thrashed by Police personnel in Meerut pic.twitter.com/yQfaJBDbBD

— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) April 2, 2018

6) One killed in Rajasthan, internet services suspended: One person has been killed in firing in Rajasthan's Alwar city amid the Bharat Bandh protest, the state police said on Monday. Internet services were also suspended in certain districts to maintain law and order. "One person has been killed in the firing in Alwar city. There was stone pelting in several places that took place. Number of people has also been detained across all districts in the state," Director General of Police (DGP) O P Galhotra said. "Internet services were suspended and Section 144 has also been imposed in certain districts," Galhotra added.

Earlier in the day, the situation was equally bad in Rajasthan's Jaipur, Bharatpur, and Barmer, where protesters stopped trains and vandalised shops. According to media reports, nearly 25-30 companies of additional forces were deployed across Rajasthan in view of the state-wide protests. Further, trains and bus services were affected as they were halted at many places in the state.

ALSO READ: RSS refutes criticism for 'Bharat Bandh' violence

7) Ambedkar's grandson blames Modi government and SC for Bharat Bandh violence: Prakash Ambedkar, the grandson of Dr B R Ambedkar, held the central government and the Supreme Court responsible for the violent protests that erupted during the nationwide Bharat Bandh. "What we believe is that people do not resort to violence in the beginning. Violence erupted because the government does not take action against those who want to bring religious power in the country. So, people are now of the thought that they have to take steps in their own way if they want to protect their rights, and today the people showed their way," Ambedkar told news agencies. "The responsibility of the violence, I believe, lies on the government and the Supreme Court," the Dalit leader added.

ALSO READ: Bharat Bandh: Section 144 imposed in Haridwar

8) After Bharat Bandh, huge public meeting planned by Dalit groups in September: What comes next, now that the Bharat Bandh is over? All India SC/ST Samaj Convener Ashok Bharti, who has been at the forefront of giving the bandh call, said Dalit organisations were planning a huge public meeting in September if the Centre did not meet their demands by then. Its chief demand is to have SC and ST representation in the judiciary.

ALSO READ: Dalit protests: Jet, Vistara waive cancellation charges

9) Ravi Shankar Prasad says Modi govt differs with SC's reasoning: The Modi government moved the Supreme Court seeking a review of its recent verdict on the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act, saying that it has led to "dilution" of some stringent provisions of the law to prevent atrocities against SCs and STs. Separately, Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said the government "differs" with the reasoning given by the apex court judgement "virtually redoing the entire architecture of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act".

In its review petition, the Union government said the verdict has "wide ramification and implication resulting in dilution of the stringent provisions of law enacted under the 1989 enactment". The petition said: "It(the verdict) adversely affects a substantial portion of the population of India being the members of SC/ST. It is also contrary to the legislative policy of Parliament as reflected in the Prevention Of Atrocities Act 1989." The Centre has sought an open court hearing of the review petition.

ALSO READ: Board exams conducted smoothly amid Bharat Bandh violence

10) Amend SC/ST Act or file curative petition, Congress tells Centre: Congress demanded the Centre bring an amendment to the SC/ST Act in Parliament or file a "curative petition" in the Supreme Court. The Opposition party blamed the Modi government for violence during the Dalit protests. The Congress also claimed that the Centre was not interested in addressing the issues facing Dalits, backward classes, minorities, the poor, youths, and farmers, while it was only interested in those "who make money".

"The government took the issues of Schedule Castes and Schedule Tribes very lightly. Instead of designating the Attorney General or his assistant to argue for 23 per cent population of the country in the Supreme Court, they had sent a junior lawyer. The result is the dilution of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989," said Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge. "The government must immediately bring in an amendment in Parliament to take corrective measures. A review petition (in the Supreme Court) will go to the same people who gave the order. They (Centre) can also file a curative petition and the matter should be heard by a Full Bench in the Supreme Court," he added.

Watch our video report on the Bharat Bandh protests over the dilution of the SC/ST Act:

With agency inputs