The Supreme Court's decision to introduce an anticipatory bail provision in the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, and do away with automatic registration of FIR and arrest under the law, among other changes prescribed by the court, played out politically on Wednesday.
The Congress accused the BJP government at the Centre of intentionally not defending the statute in a forceful manner in the court, and alleged that the RSS-BJP combine was carrying out a conspiracy to destroy the systems that have been put in place for protection and upliftment of people belonging to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
“There is an attempt to destroy the structures that are meant for protection, and economic and social uplift of people belonging to SC/ST communities. This is a part of a conspiracy of the RSS-BJP to do away all with all systems meant for the SC, ST people, including reservation,” said Congress leader Kumari Selja.
Dubbing the court's decision as a big blow to the SC/ST communities, Randeep Surjewala, head of the AICC Communications Department, said the government is responsible for weakening of the law. “The court had issued a notice to the Centre. However, the attorney general did not appear before the court, and neither did the solicitor general. An additional solicitor general went to the court only as a formality,” Surjewala said.
The Congress has been attacking the Narendra Modi government and the BJP for being “anti-dalit” in the backdrop of an increase in incidents of atrocities against members of the Scheduled Castes. It has claimed that the saffron party and its affiliates are intolerant of the distinct identity of the adivasis. A major accusation of the Congress against the RSS is that it wants to do away with the provision of reservation meant for SCs and STs.
The BJP has denied the allegations, questioning the Congress' own track record in working for dalits. “Out of the 70 years after independence, members of one family have ruled India for 40 years. They got a large chunk of dalit votes. What the party has done for dalit empowerment is all too well known,” said senior BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad.