The protesters demanded restoration of the Supreme Court judgment that watered down the SC/ST Act that provided for mandatory arrest of an accused named under this law. On March 20 this year, the Supreme Court had found that the SC/ST Act was being grossly misused while hearing a case from Maharashtra.
It was in 2006 that Bhaskar Karbhari Gaikwad -- a storekeeper of the Government College of Pharmacy in Satara -- filed a case against his superiors under the SC/ST Act for making adverse remarks in the annual confidential report (ACR).
Ten years later, the complainant lodged an FIR naming some other officials including Subhash Mahajan -- the director of the Maharashtra technical education -- accusing them of deliberately not taking action against the accused name in the 2006 case.
Subhash Mahajan moved the Bombay High Court seeking quashing of the FIR. The high court rejected his plea. Mahajan then approached the Supreme Court, which held that automatic arrest of an accused under SC/ST Act was unwarranted. The Supreme Court ruled that arrest of an accused must not be made before conducting a primary inquiry into the allegations.
The Supreme Court judgment led to massive protests by various Dalit groups in April. At least nine people were killed in the nationwide protests. The Narendra Modi government came under attack from many quarters with political parties including the Union ministers from the alliance partners of the BJP.
It was in 2006 that Bhaskar Karbhari Gaikwad -- a storekeeper of the Government College of Pharmacy in Satara -- filed a case against his superiors under the SC/ST Act for making adverse remarks in the annual confidential report (ACR).
Ten years later, the complainant lodged an FIR naming some other officials including Subhash Mahajan -- the director of the Maharashtra technical education -- accusing them of deliberately not taking action against the accused name in the 2006 case.
Subhash Mahajan moved the Bombay High Court seeking quashing of the FIR. The high court rejected his plea. Mahajan then approached the Supreme Court, which held that automatic arrest of an accused under SC/ST Act was unwarranted. The Supreme Court ruled that arrest of an accused must not be made before conducting a primary inquiry into the allegations.
The Supreme Court judgment led to massive protests by various Dalit groups in April. At least nine people were killed in the nationwide protests. The Narendra Modi government came under attack from many quarters with political parties including the Union ministers from the alliance partners of the BJP.
Ultimately, the Narendra Modi government brought an Amendment Bill in the Monsoon Session of Parliament. The SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Bill 2018 was passed by Parliament restoring the original provisions of the legislation, nullifying the Supreme Court ruling of March 20.
The amendment led to fresh round of criticism, this time by upper caste groups. This was viewed as an act of surrender by the Narendra Modi government for vote-bank politics while completely ignoring the concerns of upper-caste people who claim to live in fear of being harassed using the provisions of the SC/ST Act. This sentiment led to mobilisation of nearly three dozen upper caste groups, which called for Bharat Bandh today.
The amendment led to fresh round of criticism, this time by upper caste groups. This was viewed as an act of surrender by the Narendra Modi government for vote-bank politics while completely ignoring the concerns of upper-caste people who claim to live in fear of being harassed using the provisions of the SC/ST Act. This sentiment led to mobilisation of nearly three dozen upper caste groups, which called for Bharat Bandh today.
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