DU students burn effigies protesting BJP govt's silence on SC/ST Act

New Delhi: Students of Delhi University, on Monday, burnt effigies across different colleges of the varsity, protesting against the Central's government silence on the Supreme Court's decision to dilute the SC/ST Atrocities Act.

The protesting students, mainly belonging to the All India Students' Association (AISA) demanded the immediate intervention of the Centre on the issue.

AISA also observed 'Bharat Bandh' at different places in the capital and burnt effigies burning against the Narendra Modi-led government at Satyawati College, Aurobindo College, Jamia Millia Islamia among others.

Kawalpreet Kaur, president of the DU unit of AISA, said, "In a time when atrocities against Dalits are on the rise and we needed a more strict law, the Supreme Court has diluted the SC/ST Act. Also, it was shameful that the government chose to stay silent on it, till protests stirred the country. We believe that it is a time when we have more and more stricter and efficient law against Dalit atrocities."

"We already saw that from Una to Saharanpur riots, or recently in Bhima Koregaon, whenever or wherever Dalits were attacked, the government sided with the perpetrators. Therefore, it becomes very much evident that the need for a strict law is necessary," she added. However, there were some students at DU's Swami Sharadhanad College, who supported the apex court's decision.