‘Bharat Bandh’ evokes strong response in Madhya Pradesh; largely peaceful

Bhopal: The ‘Bharat Bandh’ call given by some upper caste organisations and supported by OBC outfits against the amended SC/ST Act on Thursday evoked a strong response in Madhya Pradesh even as the day largely passed off peacefully.

A majority of private schools, petrol pumps, markets and business establishments in most parts of the state remained shut, police said.

Protests were witnessed in Rewa, Satna, Chhatarpur and Ashoknagar districts while incidents of stone-pelting were reported from some places, they said. Police said they had to lob teargas shells at Aron in Guna district to disperse the protesters.

A number of arrests were made in some districts but the police could not give the exact number of those held.

The bandh was called against the amendment carried out by the Parliament  to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act after some of its provisions were read down by the Supreme Court.

Brahma Samagam Sawarna Jankalyan Sangathan national president Dharmendra Sharma said about 150 organisations of upper castes and OBCs participated in the bandh.

The shutdown was effective in most the state’s cities, including capital Bhopal, Katni, Vidisha, Sehore, Dewas, Indore, Gwalior, Jhabua, Mandsaur, Chhattarpur, Sagar and Ujjain, he said.

“We got an overwhelming response to our ‘Bharat bandh’ call,” Sharma claimed.

A senior police official said, “In Rewa, Satna and Chhatarpur districts, thousands of protesters took to the streets. In Shadora area of Ashok Nagar district, some protesters squatted on the railway tracks, while in Rewa they tried to stop a train.”

Tyres were set afire at some places in Rewa and Satna district. In rural parts of Ujjain, members of the Dalit community and the upper castes came face to face, the official said.

“Stone pelting was reported at some places in the state and police had to lathi-charge the protesters. At Aron in Guna district, police had to lob teargas shells to disperse the unruly mob,” he added.

According to the official, some people tried to storm into Rewa district police control room, although their attempts were thwarted by the police. The protest did not evoke much response in tribal dominated districts, he added.