Why is Modi and the BJP pursuing what appears to be extreme appeasement of Ambedkarite groups and making the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act more stringent, including increasing compensation, despite the Supreme Court pointing out the possibility of gross misuse?

The BJP's core ideological idea has traditionally been Hindutva, which, in its political formulation, seeks to unite Hindus under a single banner. So why is the party supporting laws that are becoming increasingly stringent and removing safeguards such as anticipatory bail?

I am in the legal field, and I have personally seen what I believe is extensive misuse of the Act. People file complaints under the SC/ST Act for all kinds of disputes -property disputes, land disputes, money disputes, employer-employee disputes, relationship issues, and even cases involving rejection of a love proposal.

Since the changes made around 2018, the government removed the requirement of a preliminary inquiry and restored the possibility of arrest without prior verification in cases registered under the Act. Anticipatory bail has also been severely restricted, making bail considerably more difficult in such cases. At the same time, the victim can receive compensation of up to ₹16 lakh at various stages of the proceedings, depending on the nature and circumstances of the case.

On the other hand, the government appears to have taken little or no action when openly inflammatory slogans such as “Brahmin ki beti uthao” are made from public platforms. There often seems to be no FIR and no comparable political outrage.

Slogans such as “Brahmin Baniya Bharat Chhodo” have reportedly been written on the walls of JNU, and “Brahmin teri kabra khudegi” has reportedly appeared at BHU. Aren't such statements also calls for violence or persecution?

Can anyone imagine writing or publicly displaying equivalent slogans against another caste or religious community without facing serious consequences?

There is a perception that such rhetoric has become normalised, while at the same time the government continues to make laws such as the SC/ST Act increasingly stringent, despite concerns about their misuse.

Here is a personal example.

Someone took ₹20,000 from me as financial help. I gave him the money without knowing anything about his caste identity. He has returned only ₹1,000 and is now threatening that he will file a case against me under the SC/ST Act if I file a complaint against him for not returning my money.

Who is going to recover my remaining ₹19,000?

Did I discriminate against him?

I didn't even know his caste until he himself told me.

If there were safeguards such as anticipatory bail and a preliminary inquiry, as existed before the changes introduced in the 2018, I would simply say: “Go ahead and file the case. I will file my complaint regarding the money.”

But under the current framework, my fear is that if an FIR is registered under the SC/ST Act, I could first face arrest and only later have the opportunity to fully contest the allegations before the courts.

And these changes were made under Modi and the BJP.

So my question is: Why are they doing this?

Are they effectively alienating some of their traditional core voters in the process?

The BJP's political strategy has always been about creating a broader Hindu coalition. But if the party continues to strengthen laws and policies that many of its traditional upper-caste supporters perceive as being targeted against them, while appearing to ignore anti-Brahmin or anti-upper-caste rhetoric, isn't it creating a contradiction within its own political project?