Bhopal, April 4: Curfew was still in force in some areas of Gwalior, Bhind and Morena districts of Madhya Pradesh in view of the violence witnessed during Bharat bandh protest by several Dalit organisations. As per details available, curfew will be relaxed only between 10 am and 12 noon.

Internet services have been restored in Gwalior, while it remains suspended in Bhind and Morena. The protests turned so violent in Morena that the local administration had to impose a curfew to take control of the situation. In Rajasthan, the curfew will remain imposed in Hindaun till 1 pm. The situation across the state is currently normal but internet services remain suspended.

The Bandh has been called by Dalit organisations across the country against a recent Supreme Court ruling diluting the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act 1989.

On Monday, violent protests crippled normal life across the nation. Some states like Punjab ordered closure of educational institutions and curtailed communication and transport services. Rail services were stopped, incidents of arson and vandalism were reported from Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Punjab, among other states.  Protestors held banners and flags and forced people to shut shops in several cities of Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Delhi, Odisha and Jharkhand.

As per reports, scores of protestors carrying swords, sticks and flags forced shopkeepers and other establishments to shut down. The Bandh was observed in several cities of Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Delhi, Odisha and Jharkhand.

Protestors in Gwalior turned violent and damaged several private vehicles and pelted stones on police. As per reports, Police had to lob teargas shells and use mild lathi charge to disperse a mob in Gwalior.

As the protests turned violent in several states, at least nine persons were killed and hundreds were injured on Tuesday as protesters blocked trains, clashed with police and set fire to private and public properties.  According to a PTI report, around 650 people have been arrested in Uttar Pradesh in connection with the violence in the state and 125 cases have been lodged, DIG (Law and Order) Pravin Kumar said. Two people had died in the state during the protests on Monday.

To recall, the Supreme Court had on March 20 banned automatic arrests and registration of criminal cases under the SC/ST Act, triggering widespread criticism and outcry from the Dalit community. Meanwhile, the government on Tuesday filed a petition seeking review of the Supreme Court order diluting the provisions of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, which protects marginalised communities against discrimination and atrocities.

As per the Supreme Court, public servants can't be prosecuted without the approval of the appointing authority, and private citizens too should be arrested only after an inquiry under the law. However, several Dalit organisations fear the dilution of the provisions of the Act might lead to increase in violence against Dalits.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 04, 2018 09:15 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).