CHENNAI: In the wake of a recent Supreme Court order diluting certain sections of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, opposition parties, including the DMK, urged the Centre to take steps to include the Act in the 9th Schedule of the Constitution.Addressing the participants of a demonstration held at Valluvar Kottam here on Monday, they flayed the Centre for failing to act fast before the apex court issued the order diluting certain sections of the Act. “The Centre has failed to place strong arguments before the court. The Act must be included in the 9th Schedule immediately,” said DMK working president M K Stalin.
Seeing a motive behind the Supreme Court order, MDMK general secretary Vaiko accused the Chief Justice of acting in such a manner that he fulfilled the intentions of the Prime Minister. Congress Legislature Party leader K R Ramasamy alleged that the BJP-led Centre had been tinkering with each and every Act in order to pursue its communal agenda, while CPM State secretary K Balakrishnan warned that the political parties in the nation would do whatever they could to force the government to get the Supreme Court order revoked.
VCK leader Thol Thirumavalavan slammed the Union government, saying it had been acting against the interests of Dalits, tribes and minority people. He stressed the need to include the SC/ST Act in the 9th Schedule of the Constitution.