Priest stops Dalit girl from drinking water in temple, attacks father

MEERUT: A priest and his assistant allegedly prevented a 13-yearold Dalit girl from drinking water out of a temple handpump in Uttar Pradesh’s Sambhal district, the latest case in a string of crimes against the scheduled caste community.

Police said priest Puran Singh Kashyap — an OBC — and his assistant Natthu Singh allegedly stopped the teenager from drinking water and attacked her father with a trident when he objected.

This happened on a day PM Narendra Modi spoke out against rampant casteism and atrocities on Dalits, saying the nation won’t forgive people who discriminated against the community. “Attack me, not Dalits,” Modi said.

Dalits form over a fifth of the state’s population and are expected to be a significant factor in next year’s assembly polls.

The incident occurred on Sunday evening, when the father-daughter duo had gone to collect fodder on the outskirts of Gaghura village that falls under the jurisdiction of the Gunnaur police station, sources said.

The girl felt thirsty and went to the temple to have a drink of water but was blocked by Puran Singh and Natthu, who allegedly passed casteist remarks, police said.

The girl then narrated the incident to her father who approached the priest to register his protest but was attacked. The father then lodged an FIR against the Puran and Natthu, who were arrested and sent to jail.