Inter-State Council meet on atrocities against dalits on Dec 9

New Delhi, Dec 6 (UNI) Prime Minister Manmohan Singh would chair the meeting of Inter State Council on December 9 which would focus on atrocities against Dalits.

The meeting would also deliberate on the status of implementation of the Atrocities Against SC/ST Act.

The meeting would be attended by Chief Ministers of various states. Home Minister Shivraj Patil would present the centre's perspective on the conditions of Dalits.

The council meeting is significant in view of the recent incidents of atrocities against Dalits in Maharashtra and desecration of statues of Ambedkar in Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh which has caused national uproar.

The issue rocked Parliament also where the opposition charged the Maharashtra Government with failure to protect the lives of four Dalits of a family, including two women, in Khairlanji in Bhandara district on September 29.

Similarly, there was widespread protest by Dalits against the desecration of Ambedkar's statue in Uttar Pradesh.

The Council, under the Home Ministry, had held its last meeting in 2005. It plays a crucial role in resolving inter-state disputes and even the discord between the Centre and states.

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