In Gir-Somnath and surrounding districts of Gujarat these self-appointed cow protection committees have come up in the name of saving cows, said Kaushik Parmar, who led the fact finding team to the village.
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“The BJP government in Gujarat is anti-Dalit and is oppressing Dalits”.
Rajkot: Arvind Kejriwal on Friday was the latest visitor to a village in Gujarat that has drawn massive political attention over the flogging and shaming of four Dalit men for skinning a dead cow on July 11.
“The entire nation is stunned and shocked and deeply pained by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s absolute silence on Dalit atrocities being committed by his government and under their very nose”, he added.
As the news of the suicide attempt spread, hundreds of Dalits gathered at the hospital to show solidarity with the cause, Kumari said.
Patel, whose visit nearly followed Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi, said the beating up of Dalit youth was unfortunate and shameful.
Earlier in the day, Congress chief Sonia Gandhi asked the party members to raise the Una issue in the Parliament.
Many Dalits have tried to commit suicide as they have no faith in the state government, the Congress member alleged. Those who are weak and powerless have no voice in Modiji’s Gujarat. “They (BJP) have always divided the society and ruled”.
“Law alone will not ensure that there is no crime against Dalits. It hints that the government was involved”, Kejriwal said.
“We should be concerned about verbal violence as it also hurts”, Singh said.
The state government, the Minister said, was planning to have a special court for the trial in the case.
Protesters and police have clashed as many took to the streets in anger over the assault on the Dalit men, leading to one police officer being killed and several others wounded.
Replying to the debate in the Rajya Sabha on the incidents of atrocities on Dalits in different parts of the country, Singh also strongly condemned derogatory remarks against Mayawati by a now suspended member of his BJP and said he had felt “ashamed” about the remarks.
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“Baap-dada (father-grandfather) of 80 per cent of yours were also in the Congress then”, he said.
