Expressing her party's support to protests against the Supreme Court order "diluting" provisions of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, BSP supreme Mayawati today alleged that some anti-social elements instigated violence leading to loss of lives and damage to properties.
She also said that the judgement was a result of the lackadaisical attitude of the Narendra Modi government on the issue.
Seeking action against those allegedly inciting violence, she said the state governments should ensure that innocent people opposing the SC order were not harassed.
The BSP chief said there was a difference between those anguished over the judgement and those indulging in violence.
Mayawati said here that if innocent people were prosecuted for the violence, the BSP would launch an agitation.
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At least seven persons were killed and many injured in violence today as Dalit protesters blocked trains, clashed with police and set fire to vehicles across several states during a nationwide bandh against the alleged dilution of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, officials said.
While five were killed in cross-firing in Madhya Pradesh alone, one each died in Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, according to officials there.
The Centre today moved the Supreme Court seeking review of its recent judgement by which safeguards were put on the provisions for immediate arrest under the SC/ST Act.
The apex court had on March 20 said that on "several occasions", innocent citizens were being termed as accused and public servants deterred from performing their duties, which was never the intention of the legislature while enacting the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
The top court had said that unless the exclusion of anticipatory bail is limited to "genuine cases and inapplicable to cases where there is no prima facie case was made out, there will be no protection available to innocent citizens".
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