Rajasthan Home Department has recently withdrawn orders that directed the Police Chiefs to implement the Supreme Court order of preventing an arrest under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act 1989 without prior sanction.
Besides, CM Vasundhara Raje also extended her support to the same and instructed the Home Department to make the state government a party to the review petition filed by the Centre in the Supreme Court against the dilution of the SC/ST Act.
Apart from Rajasthan, states like Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh have also issued similar orders. In a statement, the Home Department confirmed that the CM has instructed that State government must be made a part to the petition that aims to dilute the modifications introduced to the SC/ST Act by the apex court.
CM Raje addressing people on Ambedkar Jayanti
Notably, the Rajasthan Home Department had issued orders to the police officials asking them to act upon the Supreme Court’s order of preventing the arrest without prior sanction. After this came to CM Raje’s knowledge, she said that the orders were issued without her knowledge and also demanded an explanation for the same.
Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje has made it clear that the state government is committed towards the welfare of the scheduled castes and scheduled tribes. Earlier on the occasion of Ambedkar Jayanti, she addressed the public in a speech and said that neither the state government will end reservations nor will it let the reservations end.
Although the SC/ST Act dilution doesn’t relate to reservations, the government had clarified that it will work in the best interest of the community whether it’s reservations or preventing the people against atrocities.
For those who don’t know, the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act 1989 states that any person found involved in any atrocity against the SC/ST community shall be punished without any investigation. However, the Supreme Court declared the dilution of the same and declared that no person can be arrested without a prior investigation as people were taking advantage of the act.
The verdict led to an uproar in the community and violent protests in the form of Bharat Bandh on April 2. After that the central government came forward in support of the community and filed a review petition in the apex court so as to prevent the dilution of the act.
