New Delhi: In an apparent damage control move, the Centre told the Supreme Court on Thursday that its recent verdict on SC/ST Act has “diluted” the provisions of law and caused “commotion, anger, unease and a sense of disharmony” in the country and steps may be taken to correct it.
The apex court was told in a written submission from Attorney General K K Venugopal.
The Centre also said the “confusion” created by the apex court verdict may have to be corrected by reviewing the judgement and recalling the directions issued by it.
The court was even told that it has not filled the gaps in the Scheduled Castes and Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, but rather amended it through judicial legislation.
The Attorney General stressed that there was separation of powers between the legislature, the executive and the judiciary which was “inviolable”.
“It is submitted that this judgement has diluted, for the reasons stated, the provisions of the Atrocities Act read with the Code, resulting in great damage to the country,” the Attorney General said in his written submissions.
This submission came in the backdrop of the April 2 Bharat Bandh called by several SC/ST organisations. The bandh call had led to the death of at least 10 people and injury to hundreds, while rocking law and order situation in several states.
On April 3, the apex court had refused to keep in abeyance this verdict, saying those agitating against its order putting in place certain safeguards on arrests under the Act may not have read the judgement or could have been misled by “vested interests”.