SC, ST Prevention of Atrocities Act will stay despite demand to repeal it Says Maha CM
MUMBAI: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has assured the Dalit community that the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act will not be abolished despite a strong demand from a section of the Maratha community to repeal it as it is allegedly being misused.
Mr Fadnavis was addressing a gathering at ‘Deekshabhoomi’ in Nagpur yesterday on the 60th Dhamma Chakra Pravartan Day, which marks the mass conversion to Buddhism by Dr. BR Ambbedkar and his followers in 1956.
AIR correspondent reports that State Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said a true follower of Dr. Ambedkar will never indulge in such misuse and hence there was no need for the Maratha community or any other community to fear its misuse. One of the major demands of the politically dominant Maratha community, which is taking out huge silent marches in Maharashtra, is abolition of the Atrocities Act.
The Chief Minister informed that the government has had a discussions with top Dalit leaders including Prakash Ambedkar, Jogendra Kawade, Sulekha Kumbhare, Anand Ambedkar and others to avoid any controversy and the design of the Ambedkar memorial at Indu Mill land in Mumbai.
He also lauded the contribution of former Governor of Bihar and Kerala R S Gavai, who headed the memorial committee till his death, and said a memorial for Gavai would be constructed in his hometown Amravati with a budget of Rs 25 crore.
