PATNA: A day after Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan-led LJP gave an ultimatum to the Narendra Modi government saying an ordinance restoring the original provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act be brought out by August 9, Nitish Kumar-led Janata Dal (United) on Saturday turned up the heat lending support to LJP’s demand.
“The demands are sensible and justified. If Dalits choose not to vote for the NDA, what will happen to the alliance? The government is for the poor. Should we not be addressing their issues first?” said JD(U) national general secretary KC Tyagi.
Interestingly, both parties also want Justice (retd) AK Goel, one of the two Supreme Court judges who delivered the verdict, be removed as NGT chairperson.
According to sources, the JD(U) is alarmed at the rising resentment among Dalit voters in Bihar towards the BJP-led NDA. Also, with LJP’s demands finding support among Dalit groups and a nationwide protest being planned on August 9, the JD(U) is worried about losing the support of Bihar’s Dalits, who form a sizeable 16 per cent of the electorate in the state.
Noting that the strict SC/ST law was framed by “leaders such as Ram Vilas Paswan, Lalu Prasad Yadav, Sharad Yadav and others under the leadership of V P Singh”, Tyagi said it was “only natural” that changes in the law would evoke protests from leaders irrespective of political affiliation.
“Considering the still deplorable condition of Dalits and the rising atrocities against them, this law needs to be further strengthened. The need of the hour is to make Dalits feel safe,” said JD(U) leader Ashok Chaudhary.
Sources said Bihar CM and JD(U) national president Nitish Kumar was also unhappy over “dilution” of the law by the apex court and he had privately raised the issue with senior BJP leaders, including BJP chief Amit Shah during their meeting earlier this month. JD(U) leaders, however, did not specify if the party would support the August 9 protests.
the genesis
The SC, through a March 20 judgment, banned immediate arrest of a person accused of insulting or injuring a Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe member
The ruling caused wide protests and the govt filed a review petition. But the SC rejected it saying its order was not an affront to Dalit rights
The SC said the SC/ST law was sometimes misused and its ruling was meant to protect innocents from arbitrary arrests
