One person was killed and around 20 injured as protests against the Supreme Court order on amendments in the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities (PoA) Act, 1989, turned violent in Madhya Pradesh and other states.
The Supreme Court had on March 20 'diluted' certain provisions of the SC/ST Act, in a bid to protect honest public servants discharging bona fide duties from being blackmailed with false cases under the Act.
The dalit groups had called for a Bharat Bandh today demanding restoration of the Act in its original form.
The violence has prompted authorities to clamp curfew in three districts including Bhind, where the Army was called in to control the situation.
A student leader, identified as Rahul Pathak, died in firing in Morena district, Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Umesh Shukla told PTI. Pathak was allegedly shot during protests by agitators and he succumbed to injuries enroute to hospital, he said.
As the violence escalated, curfew was imposed in the entire city, Shukla said.
Police said the protesters also stopped a train in Morena. Curfew was imposed in Gwalior and Bhind districts, too, following violence, officials said.
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh has appealed all political parties and groups to maintain peace and shun violence.
Talking to the media, Rajnath said, "We have filed the review petition in Supreme Court. I appeal to all political parties and groups to maintain peace and not incite violence."
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, too, have urged people to not to disturb law and order.
Members of dalit communities and Bhim Sena stage a protest during 'Bharat Bandh', in Jodhpur | PTI
The protests spread to other states, too, like Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Odisha, where normal life was hit. In Rajasthan, nearly 30 people were detained as dalit groups blocked rail and road traffic and vandalised public property, including a train, in several parts of the state. They damaged the glass windows of Shatabdi Express at Khairthal railway station.
Protesters gathered at major roads in Jaipur led to traffic snarls, while incidents of stone pelting and damage to public property were also reported, police said.
Nearly 20 people from Ajmer and 10 from Jaipur were detained after protesters damaged public property, they said.
Normal life was affected in Bihar following widespread disruptions in rail and road traffic, forced closure of offices and vandalism of property.
The issue also rocked the state assembly, which was adjourned till lunch break within minutes of commencement of proceedings. MLAs from the opposition parties as well as some from the ruling side, demanded that a resolution be passed by the House urging the Centre to take adequate measures to undo the recent Supreme Court order on arrests under the SC/ST Act.
In Odisha, vehicle movement was affected in several areas including Jharsuguda, Sundargarh, Malkangiri, Sambalpur and other tribal-dominated districts, police said. Buses also remained off the roads in Biramitrapur, Malkangiri, Kalahandi and Bolangir.
Shops and business establishments remained shut in several areas of tribal-dominated Malkangiri, Kalahandi, Sundargarh and Balangir districts in response to the 'Bharat Bandh' call. Activists of 'Adivasi Dalit Sena' staged a rail roko at Khetrajpur station in Sambalpur which delayed some trains, they said.
The Adhikar Surakhya Manch, the Adivasi Mulabasi Bancaho Manch and the JMM have extended their support to the bandh call.