SC/ST Amendment Bill to be Introduced in Parliament: Says Rajnath Singh

New Delhi: Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday said a bill to amend the SC/ST Atrocities Prevention Act, approved by the Cabinet on Wednesday, will be introduced in Parliament in the ongoing session for consideration and passage. The Leader of Congress in the Lok Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, asked why the ordinance route was not adopted in this “important” case when the government brought six ordinances in several other bills.

He said the country knew that the Supreme Court had diluted the SC/ST Act through its ruling that a preliminary enquiry was required to arrest any person even under the SC/ST Act meant for preventing atrocities against those covered under the Act. “The Prime Minister had said if there is any dilution in the Act, we will bring a bill. And there is no if and but in it, he (Modi) had promised. He also said the government will not allow dilution of SC/ST Act,” Singh said. “We will introduce the Bill in this session of Parliament to make it a law.” The Home Minister’s remarks come a day after the Union Cabinet decided to restore a provision of the SC/ST Act allowing the arrest of accused persons without a preliminary enquiry or prior approval that was struck down by the Supreme Court. (IANS)