Dalit protesters torch houses of BJP's Hindaun MLA, Congress leader in Rajasthan

A day after nine people were killed in nationwide Dalit protests against the ‘dilution’ of the provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled tribe (Prevention of Atrocities Act), an agitated mob on Tuesday torched houses of a BJP MLA and a Congress leader in Rajasthan.

According to initial reports, BJP’s Hindaun legislator Rajkumari Jatav’s residence in Karauli town, around 177 kilometers from state capital, Jaipur, was torched by the Dalit protesters.

The protesters also set former Congress Hinduan legislator Bharosi Lal Jatav’s residence on fire.

Both the leaders whose houses were torched by the mob belonged to the Dalit community.

On Monday, at least nine people were killed, thousands were detained by the police and hundreds were left injured as the central and state governments struggled to control the nationwide shutdown protests that spread across the north, west and east India.

Six people were killed in cross-firing in Madhya Pradesh alone, two died in Uttar Pradesh and one in Rajasthan. Curfew was imposed in several places and mobile services were blocked.

The Apex Court on March 20 banned arrests and registration of criminal cases under the ST/SC Prevention of Atrocities Act, 1989, a legislation meant to protect the marginalised communities from abuse and discrimination. A bench of Justices AK Goel and UU Lalit ruled that no arrests can be made under the Act without prior permission and had ruled that a court can grant an anticipatory bail if finds the complaint is an abuse of the law, false, motivated and intended to blackmail or harass a person.