The Lok Sabha passed the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Bill, 2014 on Tuesday, replacing the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Ordinance, 2014. The Bill aims to prohibit the commission of certain offences against members of the scheduled castes and scheduled tribes (SCs and STs) and establishes special courts for the trial of such offences and rehabilitation of victims. The move came on a day when most opposition parties boycotted the House, after Lok Sabha speaker Sumitra Mahajan on Monday suspended 25 Congress MPs for five days for repeatedly causing “grave disorder” in the House. Several parties, including Janata Dal (United), Left parties, Aam Aadmi Party, Rashtriya Janata Dal and Samajwadi Party expressed solidarity with the Congress and decided not to attend the Lok Sabha proceedings for the next five days. “Several steps have been taken by the National Democratic Alliance government in