Bharat bandh against SC/ST Act: Protests carried out in many states; high alert issued in 35 districts of Madhya Pradesh

Hundreds of people from upper caste communities took to the streets as part of the countywide agitation against The Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Protests were carried out across many states including Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Bihar, affecting normal life. Shops and business establishments remained shut in several areas in Madhya Pradesh with 35 areas being put on high alert. Vehicular movement was also affected in the state. Petrol pumps were also closed in the state capital and other areas. [caption id=“attachment_5128281” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Rally in Berasia town of Bhopal. 101Reporters[/caption] “Forces have been divided judiciously across districts in Bhopal. It has been peaceful until now. Nobody can force anyone to be a part of the bandh,” police said. A high alert has been issued in 35 districts across the state in the wake of the bandh. As many as 34 companies of security forces and 5,000 security personnel have been deployed in various districts. Section 144 has also been imposed in several districts of the state while drones are also being used for surveillance in Gwalior. All schools and colleges in Gwalior also remained closed. Speaking to ANI, Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Narottam Bhargavi said, “Lot of security forces deployed. We are fully ready to face any kind of situation. Section 144 imposed at several places. It is very peaceful at present.” About 35 organisations have called for a bandh in the state. The government has imposed Section 144 in Satna, Bhind, Shivpuri, Gwalior and other districts. In Bihar, trains were forcibly halted, railway tracks, national and state highways were blocked as upper caste communities forced the shutdown, disrupting rail and road traffic for hours and stranding thousands of passengers at different railway stations and bus stands. The protesters burned tyres, blocked roads and rail traffic in Patna, Gaya, Begusarai, Darbhanga, Samastipur, Nalanda, Muzaffarpur, Madhubni, Bhojpur, Lakhisarai, Sheikhpura, Nawada and Bhagalour districts. In Patna, supporters of the Sawarn Sena and Sawarn Morcha activists surrounded Bihar Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) headquarters in protest against the SC/ST Act. They shouted slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and threatened to intensify their protest against the central government. The agitators also staged a protest in front of the ruling Janata Dal-United [JD(U)] office. The JD(U) is an ally of the BJP. Opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) has termed the protest as anti-Dalit and anti-reservation. While JD-U said the protest was against the Constitution. The Schedule Caste and Schedule Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Bill, 2018 was passed in Lok Sabha on 6 August. The Congress has alleged that the Centre passed the Bill keeping in mind 2019 Lok Sabha elections