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44 Gujarat Congress MLAs suspended protesting Una flogging incident
Gujarat assembly Speaker Ramanlal Vora on
Gujarat assembly Speaker Ramanlal Vora on Tuesday suspended 44 Congress MLAs for the day after they created a ruckus in the House over the flogging of Dalits in Una town in Gir Somnath district.
Congress legislators were on the floor of the House as soon as business commenced, demanding action against those responsible for the brutal assault of four Scheduled Caste men by alleged cow-protection vigilantes for skinning a dead cow in July.
A video of the incident went viral, triggering massive protests in the state and across the country.
The two-day assembly session that started on Monday was called to clear the Goods and Services Tax Bill.
The party has 56 lawmakers in the House.
In an attempt to corner the BJP government inside and outside of the state assembly, the Congress also held Jan Aakrosh Rally in Gandhinagar. The party workers reportedly barged into the secretariat complex that also houses the assembly leading to a clash with police.
Congress claimed one of its legislator Pravin Rathore suffered injuries in the scuffle and had to be hospitalised.
Following the protest, Police detained top congress leaders including Shankersinh vaghela and Shaktisinh. Congress leaders allged that the BJP has failed on several fronts including preventing atrocities against dalits as well as taming inflation.
On Sunday, the Gujarat Congress leaders submitted a memorandum to President Pranab Mukherjee highlighting atrocities against Dalits and accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of turning “blind eye towards the suffering of Dalits” in his home state.
