SC/ST Bill passed ahead of polls: Mayawati

NEW DELHI: BSP president Mayawati on Tuesday said the passage of The Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Bill, 2018 happened “under pressure” ahead of the elections.

The BSP President further added that the Schedule Caste and Schedule Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Bill, 2018, will also be passed in Rajya Sabha.

“Though the bill in this regard, brought after a lot of delay with an eye on the coming elections in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan was passed by the Lok Sabha, we hope that it will also be passed by the Rajya Sabha,” the BSP supremo said in a statement.

The Lok Sabha on Monday passed the SC/ST Amendment Bill, 2018, which seeks to overturn a Supreme Court order that struck down the provision for immediate arrest.

The SC/ST Act protects the marginalised communities against discrimination and atrocities.

The apex court, in its March 20 ruling, had barred immediate arrests in cases registered under the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act. This came after Dalit organisations staged a massive protest across the country on April 2 against the judgment of the top court.

Later, the Centre filed a review petition against the ruling, which went in vain as the top court refused to stay its order and asked all parties to submit detailed replies.

ANI inputs