NEW DELHI: A day after the Union cabinet decided to overturn the Supreme Court’s “dilution” of the Dalit atrocities law, the opposition accused the Centre of not bringing an ordinance for four months despite persistent demands, prompting the government to announce that it would bring an amendment in the current session.

It is learnt that the government will try to get the bill passed in the ongoing monsoon session which has barely a week more to go. But if the bill gets stuck because of some reason, it will bring an ordinance to restore the old law, sources said.

In Lok Sabha , Congress MPs raised the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, saying the apex court order “diluting” stringent provisions of the law came on March 20. Mallikarjun Kharge called the SC judgment — which prescribed a preliminary inquiry before lodging of an FIR, did awat with mandatory arrest and introduced the provision of anticipatory bail — dangerous for Dalits and tribals.

He said 17 political parties met the President on March 27 seeking an ordinance to overturn the SC order and Congress leader Sonia Gandhi also wrote to the prime minister with the same request, but no action was taken by the Centre.

In response, home minister Rajnath Singh chided the Congress and said, “What is the relevance of raising the issue today? Perhaps, the member knows that the Union cabinet has approved amendment to the SC/ST Act. The prime minister had said that the Act will be restored without the change of a comma or a full stop. We will bring the amendment bill in this session itself.”

