At least seven persons were killed and many injured in violence today as Dalit protesters blocked trains, clashed with police and set fire to vehicles across several states during a nationwide bandh against the alleged dilution of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, officials said.
While five were killed in cross-firing in Madhya Pradesh alone, one each died in Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, according to officials there.
Curfew was imposed in several places and hundreds were detained. The Army and paramilitary forces were also put on standby in Punjab.
The Union Home Ministry, which rushed 800 anti-riot policemen to MP and UP, asked all states to take preventive steps and maintain public order to ensure safety of lives and property.
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 Supreme Court seeking review of its recent judgement on the SC/ST Act, maintaining that the verdict will violate constitutional rights of these communities.
While some states had ordered closure of educational institutions as a precautionary measure, incidents of arson, firing and vandalism were reported from MP, UP, Rajasthan, Bihar and Punjab, among other places.
In MP, two died in Gwalior, two in Bhind and one in Morena.
In UP, one person was killed in Muzaffarnagar and nearly 75 persons including 40 policemen were injured in violent protests in various parts of the state. Police has detained nearly 450 people there.
In Rajasthan, one person was killed and 26 others, including nine policemen, were injured in Alwar.
#WATCH #BharatBandh over SC/ST protection act:Shots fired during protests in Madhya Pradesh's Gwalior pic.twitter.com/p8mW36qL0s
"Two people were killed in Gwalior while one person each died in Bhind and Morena districts during the violence," Inspector General (law and order) Makrand Deoskar told PTI.
Incidents of stone-pelting, arson and loot were also reported from several parts of the state during the protest, he said, adding that further details are awaited.
A student leader, identified as Rahul Pathak, died in firing in Morena district, Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Umesh Shukla told PTI.
Pathak was allegedly shot by agitators and he succumbed to injuries enroute to hospital, he said.
As the violence escalated, curfew was imposed in the entire city, Shukla said.
The protesters also stopped a train in Morena, the police said.
Curfew was also imposed in Gwalior and Bhind districts following violence, officials said.Gwalior Commissioner B M Sharma said, "Curfew has been imposed in several parts of the Gwalior city following violence during the protest."
The army was called in Bhind district, where six people were injured in firing by protesters, to control the situation, Bhind Superintendent of Police Prashant Khare said.
Union home minister Rajnath Singh appealed for peace, while Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said the government was not a party to the Supreme Court decision on the SC/ST Act and "respectfully" did not agree with its reasoning behind the verdict.
Prasad also said the government has filed a very comprehensive review petition in the matter.
Union minister Ramvilas Paswan, a prominent Dalit leader and head of NDA ally LJP, appreciated the government's quick decision to file the petition and accused Congress of having done nothing for Baba Saheb Ambedkar.
Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath appealed for peace and urged the people not to vitiate law order, as violence was reported from many districts including Azamgarh where protesters torched two state-run buses, injuring several passengers.
Protests turned violent in Agra, Hapur, Meerut in western UP.
Director General of Police (DGP), OP Singh, said the situation is under control in Agra, Sambhal and Hapur and that anti-riot police have been deployed there.
"We have sought more force from the Centre that will be deployed there. We are keeping an eye on the situation, which is under control," he said.
Many trains, such as Saptakranti Express, Utkal Express and the Bhubaneswar Rajdhani as well as the Kanpur Shatabdi, were stopped ahead of Ghaziabad in Meerut and Modinagar, officials said.
A group of about 2,000 people disrupted trains at the Hapur station as well, disrupting the movement of many goods trains, they added.
Protests were also witnessed at Ambala and Rohtak in Haryana as well as in Chandigarh.
The CBSE has already postponed Class 12 and Class 10 examinations scheduled to be held today in Punjab at the request of the state government in view of the 'Bharat Bandh'.
In the national capital region, protesters squatted on tracks at several places, stopping trains, including the Dehradun Express and the Ranchi Rajdhani, while a Northern Railway official said services were also disrupted by a mob in Ghaziabad.
The Congress-led Punjab government had on Sunday ordered a security clampdown as a precautionary measure, while the Army and paramilitary forces have been asked to be on standby to prevent any exigency.
Chief minister Amarinder Singh had ordered that schools, colleges and other educational institutions would remain shut today, while the Internet services were suspended from 5 pm yesterday till 11 pm on Sunday.
CBSE postpones exams
Meanwhile, the CBSE postponed Class 12 and Class 10 examinations scheduled to be held on Monday in Punjab at the request of the state government in view of the 'Bharat Bandh'.
"Taking cognisance of the letter of the director general (school education), the CBSE decided to postpone all class 12 and 10 examinations scheduled for April 2 , 2018 in the state of Punjab ," it said in a statement issued late in the night.
"Exams will carry on as per schedule in UT of Chandigarh and rest of the country," it said.
In a later development, the education department said the final practical examinations of Classes 10 and 12 of the Punjab School Education Board will be conducted on April 11 instead of April 2.
Transport takes a hit
Public and private transport remained off the road.
"Buses run by the Pepsu Road Transport Corporation (PRTC), Punjab Roadways, PunBus, and private operators will remain off the road during the bandh. Banks too will remain closed," an official spokesperson said.
The orders were issued after the chief minister reviewed the security arrangements with top police and administration officials last evening.
Chief Minister makes appeal
The chief minister appealed to the protestors not to take the law into their own hands, obstruct transport movement or harass commuters.
He also appealed to them that the mortal remains of the 39 Indians killed in Iraq which are expected to arrive in Amritsar today, be allowed to be transported to their native villages without any impediment.
As part of the elaborate security measures, four battalions each of the Rapid Action Force and the Border Security Force, and 12,000 additional police personnel will remain on duty to maintain law and order, an official spokesperson said.
In Barmer, cars and property were damaged.
In Delhi, a protest in going on at Mandi House.
In Dehradun, shops were forcibly shut down by protesters
In Morena, Madhya Pradesh, curfew has been imposed in the area after one person died.
In Meerut, protesters were thrashed by police personnel.
Meanwhile, the department of home affairs, Justice and Jails has through a notification authorized all district magistrates to "declare any place to be a special jail under the Punjab Jail Manual in view of the bandh call".
The government has also appointed special executive magistrates for the maintenance of law and order, up to April 3, in their respective districts under Section 21 of the CrPC.
(With agency inputs)
