In an alleged attack by the Thakur community on Dalits, twenty-five people were injured in Mangta village in Kanpur Dehat district of Uttar Pradesh on the night of Thursday, 13 February.
Eleven people were arrested after the violence during the 'Bhim Shobha Yatra' taken out by members of the Scheduled Caste community after the Bhim Katha, which began on 8 February.
The police has, however, called it a clash. “Both the communities entered into an altercation after a minor youth allegedly tore a poster of Dr BR Ambedkar. Both the groups also started pelting stones at each other, injuring 25 people,” Additional Superintendent of Police Anup Kumar said.
‘Nearly 300 People Attacked Dalits’
However, narrating the ordeal of Kusuma Devi, a middle-aged housewife from the village, The Wire stated that Devi is one of the 18 people from her community who have been admitted to the Ursula Hospital after they were attacked by members of the Thakur community.
Devi told the website, “They came at such a time when all the men of the village had gone for work. They planned it in a way to attack the women and children.” According to her, around 300 people attacked the Dalits.
Superintendent of Police (Kanpur Dehat) Anurag Vats said that eight of them were discharged while the condition of the others was stated to be stable.
“We have registered FIRs against men of upper caste following complaint of one Amit Kumar," Vats said, adding that the FIR has been registered under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the SC/ST Act.
The Thakurs, however, have defended their actions claiming that a notorious 14-year-old tore the poster which was the cause of all the conflict.
They claimed that the Thakurs had promised to put up three new posters but that the Dalits were furious and refused to listen.
Police said that the 11 arrested were sent to jail on Friday evening.
BJP Doesn’t Listen to Victims’ Families: Priyanka Gandhi
Reacting to the incident, Congress general secretary in charge of Uttar Pradesh East, Priyanka Gandhi, tweeted in Hindi, “In Mangta village of Kanpur Dehat, Dalits reciting Bhim Katha were attacked by bullies. Several people are hospitalised.”
She further stated, “Be it Shabbirpur or Mangta incident, the BJP government did not listen to the victims' families. The BJP has attacked the Constitution and now the attacks are even happening on recitation of Babasaheb story.”
(With inputs from PTI, The Wire)
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