TIA NEWS
The Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh today suspended Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) of Saharanpur Subhash Chandra Dubey and District Magistrate (DM) NP Singh over their inability to control the situation after fresh caste violence between Dalit and Rajput communities in Saharanpur.
A Dalit man was killed and about 20 people were injured in violence on Tuesday after Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati held a rally in Shabbirpur, a village where one person had died in caste clashes earlier this month.
The violence in the area started on May 5, when a Dalit group had objected to a procession of Thakurs in Shabbirpur village to mark the birth anniversary of Rajput king Maharana Pratap. In the ensuing violence, one person was killed and 15 others were injured. Dalits allege that upper caste Thakurs had earlier prevented them from installing a statue of Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar on the premises of the Ravidas temple inside the village.
A Dalit man was killed and about 20 people were injured in violence on Tuesday after Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati held a rally in Shabbirpur, a village where one person had died in caste clashes earlier this month.
On Tuesday, some unidentified people set fire to about 12 houses belonging to Rajputs in Shabbirpur ahead of Ms Mayawati’s arrival. After she left, a sword-wielding mob attacked a vehicle with BSP supporters in it. Police said the attackers also fired guns killing a 24-year-old Dalit man and injuring four others.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has sent a team of officials led by Home Secretary Mani Prasad Mishra to Saharanpur. Mr Mishra arrived in the town late on Tuesday night on a special plane along with three top police officers of the state.
The Uttar Pradesh government has blamed former Chief Minister and Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati’s visit on Tuesday to Shabbirpur, a village where clashes between Dalits and Thakurs or Rajputs earlier this month had led to the death of a Dalit man.
“Some people have tried to create uneasiness at Saharanpur. Mayawati must not play case politics and help to maintain harmony,” said UP minister Shrikant Sharma.
Ms Mayawati has accused the BJP-led UP government of failing to stop attacks on weaker sections.
On Sunday, thousands of Dalit rights activists, led by a western UP group called the Bhim Army, gathered at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar to protest against the caste violence in Saharanpur.
On Tuesday, some unidentified people set fire to about 12 houses belonging to Rajputs in Shabbirpur ahead of Ms Mayawati’s arrival. After she left, a sword-wielding mob attacked a vehicle with BSP supporters in it. Police said the attackers also fired guns killing a 24-year-old Dalit man and injuring four others.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has sent a team of officials led by Home Secretary Mani Prasad Mishra to Saharanpur. Mr Mishra arrived in the town late on Tuesday night on a special plane along with three top police officers of the state.
The Uttar Pradesh government has blamed former Chief Minister and Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati’s visit on Tuesday to Shabbirpur, a village where clashes between Dalits and Thakurs or Rajputs earlier this month had led to the death of a Dalit man.
“Some people have tried to create uneasiness at Saharanpur. Mayawati must not play case politics and help to maintain harmony,” said UP minister Shrikant Sharma.
Ms Mayawati has accused the BJP-led UP government of failing to stop attacks on weaker sections.
Earlier today Congress hit out at the Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh government for the “anti-Dalit violence” in Saharanpur district and flaying the local police and civil administration demanded that cases be filed immediately against the District Magistrate and also the Superintendent of Police for “dereliction of duties”.
AICC Scheduled Caste department chairman K Raju also demanded that there should be a special court to try the cases and under the provisions of the Prevention of Atrocities Amendment Act, charge sheets be filed against the accused within 60 days of the incidents and the special court’s ruling should come within 120 days.
There has been gross dereliction of duties, he said adding that Section 4 of the Prevention of Atrocities Amendment Act “has very clearly detailed what is called ‘dereliction of duties’.
Whosoever has failed in their duties to prevent occurrence of atrocities shall be punished under the same Atrocities Act”.
“The UP government has to implement the Atrocities Act in letter and spirit and create confidence in Dalits that law will protect them,” he said.
On Sunday, thousands of Dalit rights activists, led by a western UP group called the Bhim Army, gathered at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar to protest against the caste violence in Saharanpur.