'Rail-Roko' protest staged in Chennai over SC/ST Act issue
Protest
The apex court, on March 20, introduced the provision of anticipatory bail in the act while directing that there would be no automatic arrest on any complaint filed under the law
Protesting over the SC/ST Act issue, agitators demonstrated a 'rail-roko' protest in Chennai on Saturday.
"The grassroots political parties in TN have come together for this. We are strictly against the idea of implementing SC/ST Act with any dilution," one of the protestors said.
The apex court, on March 20, introduced the provision of anticipatory bail in the act while directing that there would be no automatic arrest on any complaint filed under the law.
The DMK, along with other opposition parties, also staged a protest in Chennai on Monday against the alleged dilution of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
Addressing the gathering, DMK leader MK Stalin said the Supreme Court order to dilute the Act was unacceptable. The political parties that participated in the protest were DMK, Congress, IUML, MDMK, VCK and MMK.
The ruling led to an uproar amongst the SC/ST people who alleged that the Act has been diluted.
Several Dalit organizations also called for Bharat Bandh on April 2 to protest against this.