Attacking the Congress for ignoring the legacy of Dr BR Ambedkar, Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan on Monday said the BJP government had worked to protect the interest of Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs).

The Narendra Modi government on Monday filed a review petition against the Supreme Court’s order that dilutes stringent provisions of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, he told reporters.

The Act was enacted during the VP Singh-led National Front government’s tenure and amendments to make it stronger were made during the Bharatiya Janata Party’s rule while there was no such efforts taken by the Congress, said Paswan.

“There is anger among people from SC and ST communities. We can understand protests being done by the students. However, political parties should not politicise the issue,” he said.

The Lok Janshakti Party chief also said: “Congress never gave respect to Ambedkar. It had pitched its candidates against Ambedkar when he contested Lok Sabha elections. There were portraits of Nehru, Indira Gandhi at the Central Hall of Parliament but that of Ambedkar was missing till 1989.”

Paswan also said that the Uttar Pradesh government’s decision to adding ‘Ramji’ as Ambedkar’s middle name should not be made into a political issue.

Review petition

As Dalit groups launched massive protests in different parts of the country, the Central government on Monday filed a review petition in the Supreme Court in the apex courts recent order diluting certain provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.

Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad confirmed that the Centre has filed the petition after instructing his Ministry officials “to examine the desirability of filing a review petition in the case.”

“I wish to convey that today we’ve filed a petition on the judgement by Supreme Court on the SC/ST act,” Prasad said.

“We have filed a comprehensive review petition which will be presented before the court by the senior lawyers of the government,” he added.

Meanwhile, Four people are believed to have lost their lives in the ongoing agitations led by Dalit groups in Madhya Pradesh. Two people died in Gwalior-Chambal region while one each in Morena and Bhind districts of the BJP-ruled state.

Some reports claim that they died of gunshot injuries but authorities are yet to confirm how they died. The police claim that it has not fired on any protester.

The violent protests, which broke on Monday across the country, have uprooted normal life. Reports say that effigies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi were burnt in parts of the state.

Schools have been closed in Gwalior. Internet services have been suspended in Bhind, Gwalior and Morena.

SC rejects urgent hearing 

On Monday, the Supreme Court declined an urgent hearing on a plea which sought a stay and review of its recent verdict on SC/ST Act by which certain safeguards were put in place on automatic arrest of individuals.

All India Federation of SC/ST organisations, a conglomerate of nearly 150 employees groups, said large-scale nationwide violence has taken place in which several people have lost their lives and therefore the petition should be heard urgently.