No arrests without probe, says Chouhan

BHOPAL: Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Thursday said that no one will be arrested without investigation under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, in Madhya Pradesh.

Interacting with the media in the tribal Balaghat district during his Jan Ashirwad Yatra, Chouhan also said that he won’t allow misuse of SC/ST Act in MP.

Chouhan’s words come at a time when the Parliament, overturning a Supreme Court ruling, passed the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Bill, 2018, that rules out any provision for anticipatory bail for a person accused of atrocities against SC or ST communities.

Of late, the ruling party leaders are facing opposition from the upper-caste over the SC\ST Act all over the state.

However, when asked whether he was proposing to bring in a change in the law Chouhan said that just giving direction is enough. He said the government will work for the welfare of all categories.

Samanya Pichchda Alpsankhyak Adhikari Avam Karamchari Sangh (SAPAKS) state president Kedar Singh Tomar said, “Nothing is going to happen with this verbal assurance... seeing the anger among the people they are changing their stand. Our protests will only end after change in the Act.”

MP Congress spokesperson JP Dhanopia said, “Chief Minister Chouhan has no authority to say what he did... He is misguiding the people by giving such loose statement.”

BJP spokesperson Hitesh Bajpai maintained that the chief minister has not said anything that is against the law, parliament or SC.