Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has appealed for peace and a high alert has been declared in over a dozen districts of Madhya Pradesh ahead of a statewide bandh on Thursday being organised by groups opposed to the BJP's stance on the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Bill, 2018.
Several upper caste groups had given a call via social media to organise a bandh on Thursday as resentment against the BJP has seemingly increased over the SC/ST amendment bill. Ministers have had to halt their tour programmes owing to the threat of protests, while the 'Jan Ashirwad Rath' used by Chouhan to campaign for the upcoming elections was pelted with stones and a shoe hurled at him in Sidhi district two days ago.
Members of upper caste communities have confronted ministers of the state and Central governments for not opposing the SC/ST amendment bill.
Upper caste organisations—led by Samanya, Pichda Evam Alpsankhayak Varg Adhikari Karmchari (SAPAKS), Karni Sena and Brahmin Sangh—are demanding that government adhere to the March 20 verdict of the Supreme Court, which had diluted the provisions of the SC/ST act regarding arrest procedures of accused persons.
After violent protests by dalit groups in April, the Central government, led by the BJP, had passed the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Bill, 2018, to bypass the order of the Supreme Court laying down procedures for arrests under the SC/ST act.
The upper caste groups are angry over the SC/ST amendment bill as they have traditionally seen the BJP as a party sympathetic towards them. In view of the coming assembly polls in Madhya Pradesh, the protests are getting aggressive as various organisations of upper castes formed at the district and state level are asking questions to BJP’s elected representatives on why did they not oppose the SC/ST amendment bill in Parliament. According to an estimate, over 35 upper caste organisations have been active in organising protests in various places.
In Mandsaur and Neemuch districts, thousands of upper caste houses have put up notices in front of their residences, stating, “Please do not come to us for votes, we are non-SC/ST family and we will vote for NOTA.”
In view of Thursday's bandh, which police anticipates could turn violent, special contingents of armed police are being deployed in two dozen districts of Gwalior, Chambal and Ujjain divisions. Arms licence in several districts have been suspended and suspected miscreants are being arrested as a preventive measure, police said.
Meanwhile as a precautionary measure, several ministers have cancelled their public functions and tour programmes owing to protests. Recently, Union Minister of State for External Affairs M.J. Akbar, who is a Rajya Sabha member from Madhya Pradesh, had to be whisked away when he was surrounded by protesters.
