The home minister said eight people were killed -- six in Madhya Pradesh and one each in Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, during Monday's Bharat Bandh.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said that Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has already 'accepted defeat' by requesting him not to stop schemes initiated by the Congress in Rajasthan, and gave a guarantee that the Bharatiya Janata Party will not stop any scheme but only try to improve it.
The bill rules out any provision for an anticipatory bail for a person accused of atrocities against SC/STs, notwithstanding any court order.
'The government should immediately enact an Act to make caste discrimination a criminal offence and lay down a procedure similar to that of the Anti-Ragging Act.' 'Ragging has nearly been eliminated because it is treated as a criminal offence.' 'Similar procedure should be used in case of caste discrimination.'
The findings add a twist, as Jitender, the father of the Dalit children, claimed that his house in Sunped village was set on fire by a group of upper caste people after throwing petrol from an open window.
The BJP had replaced Raj from the North West Delhi Lok Sabha constituency with Punjabi Sufi singer Hans Raj Hans.
'Atrocity on Dalits get political support.'
The case was earlier registered at Chandpa Police Station, in Hathras district of Uttar Pradesh, on a complaint by the victim's brother.
'By calling names and using unparliamentary language, they are trying to divert people's attention from the issues of electricity, water, and income.'
Chirag Paswan says his party's support to BJP is issue-based.
It also provides that no preliminary enquiry will be required for registering a criminal case and an arrest under this law would not be subject to any approval.
The move comes following a recent verdict by the Supreme Court in this regard.
The police have arrested nine persons, including seven students of Jain (Deemed-to-be) University in Bengaluru, over a controversial skit which allegedly had casteist content.
Banerjee said the Border Security Force must work impartially as the BJP "may not be in power tomorrow".
The Bharatiya Janata Party president accused his Congress counterpart Rahul Gandhi of "inciting hatred" in society with his "lie" that the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act has been revoked.
'There is no one who will be able to have a dignified life, when your brother and sister of another community are not being treated as human.'
The Jaipur Literature Festival Saturday witnessed fireworks after political critic Ashis Nandy made a controversial comment on corruption and people belonging to OBC, SC and ST communities which drew a strong response from the audience.
'If the Opposition does make a dent, it could encourage the efforts of regional parties to come together for the larger battle in 2024 and mark the beginning of a new anti-BJP politics.'
Uttam Ghosh offers his take on the tragic events of September 30 in the most populous state in the Indian Union, Uttar Pradesh.
The six-time independent legislator said though he would be labelled anti-Dalit, he is only talking about equality.
'This shows how casually these officials approached a dispute simmering for years which finally erupted into violence.'
The bill to restore the original provisions of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act was approved by the Cabinet on Wednesday, acceding to a key demand of Dalit groups ahead of their call for a 'Bharat Bandh' on August 9.
Congress leader Sachin Pilot on Friday stressed that the party would fight the Rajasthan assembly polls "unitedly" and said that a decision on who would lead the next government would be taken by the high command after consultations with the newly-elected MLAs.
The state government has also taken a decision to keep all schools shut for the day.
The results are expected to have a bearing on the 2019 parliamentary polls.
'The BJP has been tinkering with the Indian Constitution every now and then.' 'Instead of celebrating November 26 as Constitution Day, the BJP was more interested in (the VHP's) Dharam Sabha which was called that day.' 'This shows they believe more in the Ram mandir than in the Constitution.'
Despite Sharad Pawar's categorical stand, the Maharashtra government has done nothing to ease the suffering of the Bhima Koregaon 16, who have been denied their basic rights to health and to communication with their families while in jail.
Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad alleged that after the Citizenship (Amendment) Act was signed into a law in December, the socio-political situation in the country has been witnessing "new heights of state-sponsored atrocities".
A 25 year-old Hindu man was brutally killed in broad public view in Hyderabad by his Muslim brother-in law and another person in a case of suspected "honour-killing," with the incident sending shock waves after the gory murder that was caught on camera went viral.
Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan had reportedly taken steps to implement the order, they have now decided to put its execution in abeyance.
Chandrashekhar also known as Ravan, 30, was arrested in June 2017 in connection with the May 5 clashes in which one person was killed and 16 others were injured at Shabbirpur village in Saharanpur.
Noting that the young girl belonged to a Dalit migrant family from Bihar, Finance Minister and senior BJP leader Nirmala Sitharaman also took a swipe at Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Yadav, questioning if he had asked Rahul Gandhi about the issue while holding a joint poll campaign with him in the state.
'We have made a pledge; those who kicked Rahul Gandhi out of the house he had lived for 19 years, will be kicked out from the corridors of power.'
'Despite living in a free nation for so many years, if atrocities like rapes, public flogging, social boycotts are faced by Dalits, then conversion is the only option.'
Sources say promulgating an ordinance to restore the original provisions would help calm tempers.
'I was wondering whether I would ever come out alive.'
The Haryana Police on Sunday said cricketer Yuvraj Singh was arrested and released on bail in an alleged casteist remarks case in compliance with a high court order.
'Who will vote for and against who will be clear once the election results are declared on December 18.'
Dividing people in the name of religion, engineering riots and committing atrocities on Dalits is not Hindutva but to unite one human being with another is, he said in a veiled attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party while replying to a question at a summit organised by news channel Times Now.
A delegation of National Democratic Alliance's SC and ST MPs, led by LJP chief Ram Vilas Paswan and Union Social Justice Minister Thawarchand Gehlot, had yesterday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss the apex court judgement diluting provisions of the SC-ST atrocities act.
