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At least seven persons died and scores were injured in street protests by Dalits in different parts of the country against the alleged dilution of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act on Monday. Protesters blocked trains, clashed with police and set vehicles on fire across several states.
While five persons were killed in cross-firing in Madhya Pradesh, one person died in Uttar Pradesh and another in Rajasthan, according to officials. Curfew was imposed in several places and hundreds were detained. The Army and paramilitary forces were also put on standby in Punjab.
On March 20, the Supreme Court had diluted certain provisions of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act in a bid to protect ‘honest’ public servants discharging bona fide duties from being blackmailed with false cases under the Act. However, the verdict elicited strong reactions from the Dalits and the Opposition who claim that the dilution of the Act will lead to more discrimination and crimes against the backward community.
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