Sonia Gandhi writes to PM Modi expressing concern over atrocities on Dalits

Congress president Sonia Gandhi

Congress president Sonia Gandhi Monday wrote to PM Narendra Modi on the “distressing rise in the incidents of atrocities against Dalits” and accused his government of letting lapse an ordinance brought by the UPA government to “strengthen the implementation” of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Sonia wrote that even though the Standing Committee which examined the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Bill, which replaced the ordinance, tabled its report in December, the “government did not bring it to the Parliament for passage in the Budget session.”

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She said that while it is important to ensure that a fair inquiry is conducted in such cases and the guilty are punished, it is equally important to strengthen the institutional machinery charged with the welfare of Dalits.