Indore, March 29 (PTI): Union Social Justice Minister Thawar Chand Gehlot today said that the Centre is likely to file next week a review petition against the Supreme Court’s order diluting provisions of the SC/ST Act.
Speaking to reporters here, Gehlot said the apex court’s ruling could lead to a rise in atrocities against members of oppressed classes. A delegation of Dalit ministers and MPs led by Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan yesterday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi over dilution of some stringent provisions of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
“The Supreme Court’s decision would affect the justice delivery system,” Gehlot, who was part of the delegation, said here, in reply to a question. It would lead to delay in police action and arrest, and as a result, atrocities against the oppressed classes would rise, the BJP leader said. The prime minister assured the delegation of Dalit MPs yesterday that appropriate action would be taken, and consequently the government decided to go in for a review petition, the Union minister said.
On March 20, the Supreme Court, noting the rampant misuse of the SC-ST Act against government servants, ruled that a public servant can be arrested only after approval of the appointing authority. A non-public servant can be arrested after approval by the Senior Superintendent of Police, it said.
