Elaborate security arrangements have been made and a high alert has been sounded by the authorities across the state of Madhya Pradesh in view of the ‘Bharat Bandh’ called by nearly 35 outfits linked to the upper caste on Thursday to protest against the amendment to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
Ahead of the ‘Bharat Bandh,’ the police have beefed up security across the state and prohibitory orders have been imposed under Section 144 in sensitive areas.
“Through the social media and pamphlets, we came to know that some organisations are planning a Bharat Bandh against the amendments in the Scheduled Caste/ Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, following which the security has been beefed up in the state,” Makrand Deuskar, Inspector General of Police (Intelligence) said.
Following the shutdown call, the authorities have imposed Section 144 in Satna, Bhind, Shivpuri, Gwalior and other districts of MP.
Deuskar said orders prohibiting the gathering of people in large numbers have been imposed.
“We have decided to shut petrol pumps from 10 AM to 2 PM on Thursday due to security reasons as some organizations have given a call for Bharat Bandh,” Madhya Pradesh Petrol Pump Owners Association president Ajay Singh said.
Meanwhile, protests against the amendment to the SC/ST Act were held in the state on Wednesday.
Protesters showed black flags to former Union minister and senior BJP leader Prahlad Patel at Tikamgarh when he was addressing the party’s OBC workers.
Slogans were shouted by protesters outside the venue of BJP’s OBC cell’s meeting in Gwalior.
The Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Bill, 2018 was passed in the Lok Sabha on August 6.
The Congress later alleged that the Centre has now passed the Bill in order to lure voters of the SC/ST community ahead of the Lok Sabha polls and Assembly elections in three states.
