'Will not allow any dilution in SC/ST Act', says Home Minister Rajnath Singh

Rajnath Singh

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday assured the Rajya Sabha that the government will not allow any dilution in any of the provisions of Scheduled Tribes and Scheduled Caste Prevention of Atrocities Act.

"The protection available to SC/STs in the Constitution cannot be snatched away either by any organisation or by any individual," Singh assured the Upper House while replying to supplementaries during Question Hour.

He said the NDA government had taken every step to strengthen the act and would not allow anyone to dilute it.

"In 2015 our government not only made amendments into the act to make it more effective but also changed the rules to strengthen it," he said.

Responding to a query over low rate of conviction of crime against of SCs and STs community, Singh said the government had established 194 Exclusive Special Courts for speedy disposal of such cases.

"The rate of conviction will increase," he said.

The government also rejected the claims that there has been any increase in cases of crime against SCs and SCs.

"There has been no increase in the cases of crime against SCs and STs," Minister of State for Home Affairs Hansraj Ahir said quoting data from the National Crime Records Bureau.

He was responding to a query by Congress member Shamsher Singh Dullon, who alleged that crime against SCs and STs had increased in the last four years.

"The government is serious to stop atrocities against SCs and STs," Ahir said.

Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates