The Madiga Reservation Porata Samthi (MRPS) and other dalit and tribal outfits will hold a massive public meeting ‘Dalita Girijana Simhagarjana’, on Sunday at Prakashreddypet here.
The public meeting was aimed at expressing the dissent of the dalits and tribals over the Supreme Court’s judgement on March 20 proposing amendments in the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.
The Apex court in its judgement banned immediate and automatic arrest of a person accused of insulting or injuring a Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe member and registration of criminal cases under the SC/ST Act. It wanted a preliminary inquiry to be done to ascertain whether a complaint filed by an SC/ST member is superficial or not. The filing of an FIR has to be followed after the probe by officer of deputy superintendent of police rank authenticates the complaint.
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Samithi president Manda Krishna Madiga said as the judgement triggered country-wide protests, the MRPS and other organisations launched a campaign across the State against the judgement and as culmination of the campaign the public meeting is being organised here.
Mr. Krishna Madiga along with other leaders visited the meeting venue on Thursday. He wanted Prime Minister Narendra Modi to come clear on the measures being taken for the protection of the SC/STs in the wake of the judgment.
The Centre should bring out an ordinance to preserve the scope of Section 18 of the SC/ST Act that bars grant of anticipatory bail to the accused. A special session of Parliament has to be convened to approve the ordinance, Mr. Krishna Madiga demanded.
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Mr. Krishna Madiga also wanted the SC/ST Act included in the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution to ensure its protection from judicial scrutiny in future. If the PM is really committed to ensure protection of the SC/STs he should make a statement on the issue forthwith.