Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Mahasabha members write letter in blood to Modi seeking withdrawal of review petition over SC/ST Act

Demanding withdrawal of the review petition filed by the Centre in the Supreme Court against the court’s ruling on the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Mahasabha (ABHM) wrote a letter with their blood to the prime minister on Saturday. Members of the ABHM in Aligarh wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying if  the review petition is not withdrawn, the members will protest in New Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan “by going bald”.

On Thursday, members of the Bhartiya Dalit Panthers Party had also written a letter in blood to Modi and President Ram Nath Kovind against the alleged dilution of the Act by the Supreme Court, a  Business Standard report said. The party members also paid tributes to those who lost their lives during the Bharat Bandh protests. [caption id=“attachment_4416701” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. PTI[/caption] On 2 April, the Centre formally filed its review petition in the Supreme Court against the apex court’s ruling on the SC/ST Act, in which it will seek a review of the recent judgment by which safeguards were put on arrests under the Act. According to PTI, the Centre sought restoration of the SC/ST Act provisions that made certain offences cognisable and non-bailable. The government also sought an open-court hearing on the matter, reports said. The Centre had on Monday moved the Supreme Court to seek the recall of its judgment that ruled that there would be no automatic arrest of an accused following a complaint moved under the SC/ST Act. The government, in its review petition, told the Supreme Court that its 20 March verdict will violate Article 21 of the Constitution for the SC/ST communities and sought restoration of the provisions of the SC/ST Act. With inputs from agencies