Dalit leaders to visit Jalgaon; BJP attacks Cong chief over tweet

MUMBAI:WHILE Dalit leaders condemned the Jalgaon incident, where three Dalit boys were assaulted for swimming in a community well, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) criticised Congress president Rahul Gandhi’s tweet, saying it was not caste-related trouble.

On June 10, three minor Dalit boys were allegedly stripped, beaten and paraded naked in a village in Maharashtra’s Jalgaon district for allegedly swimming in a village well.

The incident came to light after the video went viral. Barring Union minister Ramdas Athawale, who is an ally of the BJP, all Dalit leaders blamed the ruling saffron party for the incident.

Prakash Ambedkar, president, Bharip Bahujan Mahasangh (BBM), said, “Even those who shot the video and stayed silent need to be booked.”

Jogendra Kawade, who heads the People’s Republican Party, said, “I will visit the families and offer all possible help.” Rajendra Gawai, who heads the Republican Party of India (Gawai), said, “The government has not been able to arrest Sambhaji Bhide, the mastermind of the Bhima-koregoan violence, despite irrefutable proof. In contrast, they acted against Dalits who were the victims. The same story will be repeated again.”

Congress president Rahul Gandhi tweeted the video of the incident, adding in Hindi, “Their crime was they went for bath in a well belonging to a person from upper caste community.” Condemning Gandhi’s remarks, state revenue minister Chandrakant Patil said, “Of the three victims, two were from scheduled caste and one from scheduled tribe. The well-owner is from nomadic tribe community and his help is from other backward class (OBC). Making such a statement without verifying facts is not in the interest of the country.”