Bharat Bandh Live: At least 5 killed in clashes between Dalit groups and cop; SC declines urgent hearing on SC/ST ruling

At least five people - four from Madhya Pradesh and one from Rajasthan - were killed after protests turned violent between Dalit groups and cops in Madhya Pradesh.

Earlier, Dalit organisations called for a nationwide bandh to protest the alleged dilution of SCST Act. While most protests were peaceful, accompanied with rail rokos across the state, some morchas such as the one in Uttar Pradesh's Meerut and Jharkhand's capital city Ranchi turned violent.

The government moved a review petition in the Supreme Court today. Speaking to the media, Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said that the Centre has filed a petition on the judgement by Supreme Court on the SC/ST act. "We have filed a comprehensive review petition which will be presented before the court by the senior lawyers of the government," he told the media.

However, the Supreme Court said there was no need to urgently hear the case, saying that they would look at it later.

Meanwhile, the situation remains tense in Punjab, where all shops will remain closed along with educational institutions. The CBSE has postponed all Class 12 and 10 exams scheduled for Monday in Punjab. Exams will be held as scheduled in Chandigarh and in the rest of the country.

The board said it has received a letter of request, dated April 1, 2018, from the director general (school education) of the Punjab government to postpone all its examinations scheduled to be held today on account of apprehensions of law and order problems and other disturbances in the day during the 'Bharat Bandh'.

The state government has also taken a decision to keep all schools shut for the day, the CBSE said referring to the letter of the state government.

"Taking congnisance of the letter of the director general (school education), the CBSE decided to postpone all class 12 and 10 examinations scheduled for April 2 , 2018 in the state of Punjab," it said in a statement issued late in the night.

"Exams will carry on as per schedule in UT of Chandigarh and rest of the country," it said.

The next date of the examinations in Punjab will be announced soon by the board, it added.

An official spokesperson of the Punjab government in Chandigarh said the public transport services across the state has been suspended in view of the bandh call.

The Supreme Court had on March 20 diluted the provisions of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (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 apex court said government servants should not be arrested without prior sanction and private citizens too should be arrested only after an inquiry under the law .

But Dalit organisations, including the Dalit Shoshan Mukti Manch, and some political parties fear the dilution of the provisions might lead to increase in violence against Dalits.