AAP, BJP demand review of Supreme Court ruling

New Delhi: The AAP and BJP, on Monday, appeared to be on the same page in opposing the Supreme Court’s ruling “diluting” the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

Delhi chief minister and AAP and Aam Aadmi Party) national convener Arvind Kejriwal said the “fundamental intent” of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act should be preserved. They demanded that the Centre appoint prominent lawyers to effectively take up the matter in the Supreme Court.

Leader of Opposition Vijender Gupta said the BJP “doesn’t support” the court’s ruling and demanded that like the Centre, the Delhi government should also intervene in the matter in the apex court. Later, members of AAP and BJP opposed the apex court’s decision in the Delhi Assembly.

Violent protests erupted during a nationwide bandh called by Dalit outfits against the “dilution” of the act, leaving one person dead and many injured in Madhya Pradesh and disrupting normal life in many states. The Centre moved the Supreme Court seeking review of its recent judgement by which safeguards were put on the provisions for immediate arrest under the Act. Later in the day, AAP MLA Rakhi Birla moved a Calling Attention Motion on the issue in the House and both the ruling AAP and the Opposition BJP members opposed the Supreme Court’s decision on the legislation.

Social welfare minister Rajendra Pal Gautam and most of the AAP dalit MLAs — including Vishesh Ravi, Manoj Kumar, and Ajay Dutt — wore black bands in the House to register their protest. During discussion in the House, AAP legislators demanded that the apex court should review its decision. Vijender Gupta also highlighted the absence of Cabinet ministers, except Mr Gautam, in the House during the discussion over the situation arising out of the apex court’s ruling.

“If other ministers would be present in the House, discussion on the issue would be fruitful,” Mr Gupta said.

The apex court had, on March 20, “diluted” certain provisions of the Act in a bid to protect “honest” public servants.