Priest stops Dalit girl from drinking water in temple

MEERUT: A priest and his assistant allegedly prevented a 13-year-old Dalit girl from drinking water out of a temple handpump in UP’s Sambhal district on Sunday.

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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.

The father-daughter duo had gone to collect fodder. The girl felt thirsty and went to the temple for water but was blocked by Puran Singh and Natthu, who allegedly passed casteist remarks, police said.

The incident occurred on the day PM Narendra Modi spoke out against rampant casteism and atrocities on Dalits, who form over a fifth of the state’ s population and are expected to be a significant factor in next year’s assembly polls.