Leaders of the ruling BJP and opposition Congress in Madhya Pradesh have welcomed the passage of a bill to overturn a Supreme Court order on the SC/ST law in the Lok Sabha on August 6.
The state is going to assembly polls later this year, along with Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan.
The leaders claimed that the bill would strengthen deprived communities in the country.
State BJP spokesman Rajnish Agrawal said today the development will instill a feeling among members of the SC and ST communities that the government is committed towards their well being.
"My party is strongly against injustice to anyone," Agrawal said.
The Lok Sabha on Monday unanimously passed the bill to overturn a Supreme Court order concerning certain safeguards against arrest under the SC/ST law.
Welcoming the passage of the bill, state unit Congress spokesman Bhupendra Gupta said there should not be any compromise on the rights of the "oppressed classes".
"The amendment will strengthen the legislative provisions to protect the people from SC/ST communities," he said.
The Congress is trying to forge an alliance with the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) of Mayawati for the assembly elections.
The BSP holds sway over Dalit pockets in some parts of the central state which has been under the BJP rule since 2003.
RSS Madhya Kshetra Prachar Pramukh Narendra Jain refused to comment on the issue.
Hiralal Trivedi, the convener of the Madhya Pradesh Samanya Pichhada Evam Alpsankhyak Varg Samaj (SAPAKS), said the amendment will create a "social unrest".
Madhya Pradesh High Court Bar Association president Adarsh Muni Trivedi said, "the Central government chose to bring in the amendment to cater to the vote bank politics".
He said the government's move should be challenged in the supreme court.
The Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Bill 2018 rules out any provision for anticipatory bail for a person accused of atrocities against SC/STs, notwithstanding any court order.
It also provides that no preliminary enquiry will be required for registering a criminal case and an arrest under this law would not be subject to any approval.
The move to amend the Bill is being seen by the Opposition as a reach-out by the BJP-led NDA government to Dalits, ahead of their proposed nationwide protest later this month to demand restoration of the provisions of the law which, the Dalit groups allege, were diluted by a Supreme Court ruling of March 20.
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