BJP accused of weakening SC, ST Act

Musheerabad: Participants in a discussion on SC, ST Atrorities (Prevention) Act oraganised by the Telangana Joint Action Committee of Social organisations at Sundarayya Vignana Kendram accused the BJP of watering down the Act.

In view of the Act becoming weak in ensuring protection of SCs and STs and rising cases of attacks, murders and harassment against them the speakers called for the Centre to file a petition in the Supreme Court by its solicitor seeking a review of the guidelines issued by Justices A K Goel and U Lalith. While expressing concern over the large-scale misuse of the Act, they stated that the cases of attacks against Dalits had increased across the country after the BJP assumed power.

They said that the court ruling was causing anxiety and a sense of insecurity was prevailing among the dalit-girijans. The speakers accused the BJP government and its advocates of not taking a strong stand in the court. They accused the party of striving to protect the interests of the ruling classes.

The speakers called a Statewide agitation to awaken the dalit-girijans against the anti-dalit policies of the BJP , while appealing to the intelligentsia and social organisations to support it. Among the speakers were Prof Kanche Ilaiah. Nalla Suryaprakash, former MP Ravindra Naik, Sriram Naik, Nalla Radhakrishna, Saidulu.