Paswan expressed hope that the apex court would allow the government’s review plea against its order which, many argue, dilutes the legislation’s stringent provisions.
Dalit groups have been protesting the apex court order, which has allowed provision for anticipatory bail and introduced safeguards for accused.
A ‘Bharat Bandh’ called by them against it on 2 April had turned violent, leading to deaths of at least 11 people.
A group of ministers headed by Home Minister Rajnath Singh had met on 11 April to discuss various aspects of the matter and a view emerged that the apex court order had created an “unrest”.
They also believed that an additional solicitor general, who had represented the Centre when the SC heard the matter, did not convey the official position forcefully.
Besides Singh, Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad and Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Thavarchand Gehlot attended the meeting.
Paswan told reporters that the government has acted swiftly in the case by filing a review plea within two weeks of the order and rejected the Opposition’s charge that the NDA government was “anti-Dalit”.
It was the Modi government which amended the Act in 2016 to make it comprehensive and stringent, he said.
