Bharat Bandh on April 10: Home Ministry issues advisory, asks states to tighten security

NEW DELHI: The Union Home Ministry on Monday issued an advisory to all the states asking them to beef up security and take necessary precautionary measures in view of calls for Bharat Bandh by some groups on April 10.

The development comes following the circulation of several posts and messages on social media and WhatsApp groups about another Bharat Bandh on April 10. 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 April 2.

Meanwhile in Rajasthan, representatives of different communities informed the district administration in Bhilwara that they did not support the bandh call for April 10. Members of different groups such as Karni Sena, Jat Mahasabha, Jat Samaj Sewa Sansthan and Akhil Bharatiya Gurjar Mahasabha met district officials and conveyed their stand on the issue.

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.

On March 20, the Supreme Court had diluted the provisions of the Act and had said that government servants should not be arrested without prior sanction and private citizens, too, 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.