Cabinet gives nod to bill to restore provisions of Dalit atrocity law

Members of the Dalit community stage a protest, with portraits of 20th century social reformer B. R. Ambedkar, during a countrywide strike against a Supreme Court order. Photo: AFP (File)

NEW DELHI: The Union Cabinet on Wednesday gave its nod to a bill to restore the original provisions of a law on atrocities against Dalits and tribals, acceding to a key demand of Dalit groups ahead of their call for a 'Bharat Bandh' on August 9, a top government source said. The bill to restore the original provisions of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act will be brought in Parliament, he said. The Supreme Court in a ruling in March had introduced safeguards which, Dalit leaders and organisations said, diluted the Act and rendered it toothless. BJP ally and Lok Janshakti Party president Ram Vilas Paswan had led the call to bring a new law to overturn the court order. Several ruling party MPs belonging to Dalit and tribal communities had also backed the demand.