Bharat Bandh: Security beefed up in MP

On the eve of the 'Bharat bandh' on September 6 called by 35 organisations in Madhya Pradesh to protest against the SC/ST Amendment Act, security has been beefed up in the state and prohibitory orders have been issued under section 144 of Crpc in some areas, police said on Wednesday.

Photo for representational purpose only. PTI

BHOPAL: On the eve of the 'Bharat bandh' on September 6 called by 35 organisations in Madhya Pradesh to protest against the SC/ST Amendment Act, security has been beefed up in the state and prohibitory orders have been issued under section 144 of Crpc in some areas, police said on Wednesday. "Through the social media and pamphletes, we came to know that some organisations are planning a Bharat Bandh against the amendments in the Scheduled Caste/ Scheduled Tribe(Prevention of Atrocities) Act, following which the security has been beefed up in the state," Makrand Deuskar, Inspector General of Police (Intelligence) said. The administration has imposed prohibitory orders in Chhatarpur, Shivpuri, Bhind, Ashoknagar, Guna and Gwalior, sources said. The Gwalior-Chambal region had witnessed large-scale violence on April 2 during the 'bharat bandh' called by scheduled caste groups in which four people were killed. Brahma Samagam Sawarna Jankalyan Sangathan's national president Dharmendra Sharma said that about 150 organisations of upper castes and OBCs would participate in the Bharat bandh against the amendments in SC/ST Act. "We will protest peacefully on September 6. Through this protest, we will demand withdrawal of this black law. All the sections except SC/ST are affected due to this amendment. We will also write letters to all MPs of the country," Sharma said. Protests have been going on against the amendments in SC/ST Bill in parts of the state since the past one week. The protesters staged a demonstration outside the bungalows of Union minister Narendra Singh Tomar at Gwalior and Member of Parliament (MP) Bhagirath Prasad at Bhind. The protesters also staged a demonstration at Higher Education Minister Jaibhan Singh Pawaiya's bungalow at Gwalior. The protesters also showed black flags to Union ministers Thawar Chand Gehlot and M J Akbar at Guna and Vidisha respectively. Several other protests were also organised across the state. Earlier this year, the apex court had removed the strict provision of mandatory arrests under the Act. Thisdecision  had triggered nationwide protests by Scheduled Castes organisations, forcing the Centre to bring an amendment to the Act during the Monsoon Session to overrule the SC order.