No need to do politics over attack on Dalits, Yogi tells Opposition

Chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday asked the Opposition parties in the state assembly not to add fuel to fire by politicking over the attack on Dalits in Mangta

Chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday asked the Opposition parties in the state assembly not to add fuel to fire by politicking over the attack on Dalits in Mangta village of Kanpur Dehat (Ramabainagar) amid the demand for a judicial probe into the incident.

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Bahujan Samaj Party, Congress and Samajwadi Party members staged a walkout from the assembly, accusing the state government of not being serious in dealing with the issue that the government claimed was the result of dispute on a local issue.

Adityanath said the police had taken appropriate action, arresting some of the accused and the administration was still camping in the village to maintain peace.

He said the district administration was taking care of the treatment of those injured and the process was under way to give the victims compensation in accordance with the provisions of the SC/ST Act.

“There is no need to indulge in any politics on the issue. The police have already taken action and arrested the accused,” Adityanath said, adding the Opposition had been treating the Dalits as vote banks and deprived them of benefits while his government had taken a number of initiatives for their welfare. Parliamentary affairs minister Suresh Khanna said 13 people were arrested in the case.

Earlier, BSP leader Lalji Verma said attacks on Dalits had gone up after installation of the BJP government in the state.

He said the two sides had reached a compromise after an initial dispute when a group of about 200 armed people entered the village and began beating up Dalits on February 13.

He said the Dalit students were asked to leave the village school and 18 injured people were admitted to a hospital in Kanpur.

He demanded compensation of Rs 5 lakh each to the victims and said atrocities were being perpetrated on the minorities up to now and the Dalits had become the next target. Leader of Opposition Ram Govind Chaudhary (SP) said he associated his party with the issue.

Congress Legislature Party leader Aradhna Mishra said the attack on Dalits was organised in a planned manner. She said the incident was condemnable and a five-year-old child was among nearly three dozen persons injured in the incident.

She said the incident had led to fear among the Dalits and a judicial probe should be ordered.