Centre cautions states over social media calls for Bharat Bandh tomorrow
09 Apr 2018
The ministry of home affairs today issued an advisory to all states to take necessary precautionary measures in view of calls on social media for Bharat Bandh on 10 April by some groups.
MHA has advised the states to beef up security and make appropriate arrangements to prevent any untoward incident, including issue of prohibitory orders, if necessary. It has asked for intensification of patrolling in all sensitive locations so as to prevent any loss of life or damage to property.
The advisory stressed that district magistrates and superintendents of police be made personally responsible for ensuring that law and order situation remains firmly under control in the areas of their jurisdiction.
The development comes following the circulation of several posts and messages on social media and WhatsApp groups about another Bharat Bandh on 10 April.
Some groups called for Bharat Bandh protesting against reservation system while some other groups will be protesting against the violence that erupted during the Bharat Bandh called by Dalit groups on 2 April.
Meanwhile in Rajasthan, representatives of different communities such as Karni Sena, Jat Mahasabha, Jat Samaj Sewa Sansthan and Akhil Bharatiya Gurjar Mahasabha informed the district administration in Bhilwara that they did not support tomorrow’s proposed bandh.
On April 2, several Dalit groups had enforced a Bharat Bandh in many states to protest against the Supreme Court order on the Scheduled Castes/ Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
Violence erupted in many parts of the country as Dalit protesters blocked trains, clashed with police and set fire to vehicles during a nationwide bandh against the Supreme Court order on SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
the Supreme Court, through its 20 March order, had diluted the provisions of the Act stating that government servants should not be arrested without prior sanction and private citizens should be arrested only after an inquiry under the law.
Transport, mobile and internet services were hit in many states with over 100 trains getting affected due to protests, even as the Centre moved the SC seeking review of its judgement, maintaining that the verdict will violate constitutional rights of these communities.