Why the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act Must Be Repealed immediately !!!

SC/ST Act: A Vote-Bank Weapon Masquerading as Social Justice

The SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act has long ceased to be a protective law and has instead become one of the most blatant examples of vote-bank politics weaponised through legislation. What was originally framed as a shield against discrimination has today transformed into a legal bludgeon—used not to deliver justice, but to intimidate, blackmail, and politically silence ordinary citizens.

The uncomfortable truth that successive governments refuse to acknowledge is this: the Act is grossly and systematically misused, and everyone—from police officers to trial judges—knows it. Yet no political party dares to touch it, not because the law is flawless, but because electoral arithmetic matters more than constitutional morality.

This law stands in open defiance of the most basic principle of democracy: equality before law. It creates a parallel criminal justice system where the accused is presumed guilty, arrest is automatic, bail is virtually impossible, and reputation is destroyed the moment an FIR is filed. No preliminary inquiry, no basic safeguards, no accountability for false complaints. In effect, identity replaces evidence, and accusation becomes conviction.

The Supreme Court itself has repeatedly acknowledged misuse of the Act, yet every attempt to introduce minimal safeguards has been brutally overturned under political pressure. Why? Because governments are terrified of being branded “anti-Dalit” or “anti-tribal,” even when they are merely trying to protect innocent citizens from false prosecution. This cowardice has turned lawmaking into hostage politics.

Let us be absolutely clear: crimes against SC/ST citizens are already punishable under existing laws. Assault, abuse, intimidation, sexual violence, murder—every one of these offences is covered under the Indian Laws with strict punishments applicable to all citizens, irrespective of caste. Constitutional protections under Articles 14, 15, and 21 already guarantee equality, dignity, and life. The claim that SC/ST communities will be defenceless without this Act is not just false—it is deliberately misleading.

What this law actually does is institutionalise collective suspicion against non-SC/ST citizens, particularly those from the General Category. It fosters resentment, deepens social divisions, and turns caste into a permanent political fault line. Genuine victims suffer because rampant misuse dilutes credibility, clogs courts, and diverts attention from real atrocities.

Even worse, the Act has become a tool of everyday extortion and harassment—used in property disputes, workplace conflicts, and personal vendettas. Once invoked, the damage is irreversible, even if the case eventually collapses. Careers end, families are ruined, and social standing is destroyed—without a single day of trial.

A democracy cannot survive on laws that sacrifice justice at the altar of political convenience. Social justice cannot be built on legal injustice. Empowerment does not come from draconian statutes but from education, economic opportunity, impartial policing, and swift justice.

Repealing the SC/ST Act is not an act of oppression—it is an act of constitutional correction. India must choose whether it wants laws based on citizenship and conduct or on identity and political fear. Continuing with this Act in its present form is not progress—it is a betrayal of the Constitution and a cynical exploitation of caste for votes.

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