Dalit flogging: Leaders flock to village, flay BJP Govt

Rajkot: Attacking the BJP government over the dalit thrashing incident, leaders of different non-BJP parties on Saturday accused it of being ‘anti-Dalit’ and promoting ‘Hindutva fascist forces’ even as they questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘deafening silence’ over it.
A host of leaders met the victims at the Rajkot civil hospital and Mota Samadhiyala village, and lashed out at the BJP dispensation for not taking prompt action against those behind the beating. CPI(M) polit bureau member Brinda Karat, who also visited Mota Samadhiyala village where seven people belonging to a Dalit community were brutally flogged by self-styled cow vigilantes, took exception to Modi’s ‘deafening silence’ over the incident. Janata Dal (United) stalwart Sharad Yadav, CPI leader D Raja and Babasaheb Ambedkar’s grand son Prakash Ambedkar also visited the victims, expressing strong concern and anguish over the incident. Yadav lashed out at the state government for not taking prompt action against the culprits and questioned the saffron party’s claim of safeguarding the dalits’ interests.
He said that victims were beaten up with public looking on and police did not act despite a police station being located nearby.  “The state government did not take prompt action which indicates how the government is concerned about the safety of Dalits,” Yadav said. (PTI)