Cong didn’t give Bharat Ratna to Ambedkar, now acting like his followers: Ram Vilas Paswan on Bharat Bandh

Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan on Sunday raised question over all-India bandh against the Supreme Court's ruling on the SC/ST Act, while saying that Centre is positively going to file the review petition.

"What is the point of organising a Bharat Bandh? The government is positively going to file the review petition," Paswan told ANI.Ram Vilas Paswan said: “One can understand if people protest, but why is opposition playing politics? Parties like Congress who did not give Bharat Ratna to BR Ambedkar are now acting like his followers.” 

Congress president Rahul Gandhi had slammed the RSS and the BJP for the plight of Dalits and said he saluted "brothers and sisters" from the community who have hit the streets to demand protection of their rights from the Modi government.

Gandhi's comments came as several Dalit organisations called for a nation-wide shutdown against the dilution of arrest provisions under the SC/ST Atrocities Act by the Supreme Court.

It is in the DNA of the RSS/BJP to keep Dalits at the lowest level in Indian society. Any one who challenges this thought is crushed with violence.

Our Dalit brothers and sisters are today on the streets demanding protection of their rights from the Modi Government. We salute them, he said on Twitter.

Gandhi and his Congress party have slammed the BJP and the Modi government for its anti-Dalit mindset.

The Supreme Court had on March 20 diluted certain provisions of the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act, in a bid to protect 'honest' public servants discharging bona fide duties from being blackmailed with false cases under the Act.

The verdict is being widely criticised by the Dalits and the Opposition who claim that the dilution of the Act will lead to more discrimination and crime against the backward community.