CHENNAI: Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on Tuesday ordered the authorities here to move a review petition before the Supreme Court against its recent order diluting certain stringent provisions of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) act.This comes a day after opposition parties in Tamil Nadu staged a demonstration and a Dalit organisation attempted to picket the residences of Chief Minister at Edappadi in Salem and Deputy Chief Minister at Periyakulam against the court order and seeking the Tamil Nadu government's intervention.The decision was taken at a high-level meeting Palaniswami had with top government officials and senior cabinet colleagues on Tuesday.
Considering the welfare of Dalits and tribes, the Chief Minister has ordered to file a review petition on behalf of Tamil Nadu government regarding the Supreme Court's verdict, an official press release said. It added that the Chief Minister had directed the authorities to file the petition immediately.Senior ministers, including Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam, Dindigul C Sreenivasan (Forests) and VM Rajalakshmi (Adi Dravidar Welfare) and Chief Secretary Girija Vaidyanathan, Director-General of Police (DGP) TK Rajendran and Advocate-General Vijay Narayan were present.
It may be noted that following widespread outrage and protests across the nation, the Centre moved a review petition early in April against the Supreme Court order. Dalit MPs and ministers had raised the issue with the Prime Minister recently.In Tamil Nadu, a nine-party combine led by DMK protested against the court order. They demanded that the law be included in the IX Schedule of the Constitution.Members of Adi Tamilar Peravai, a Dalit organisation, attempted to picket the residences of Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister on Monday.