Dalit groom rides horse, community faces village boycott by upper castes in Gujarat
Mehsana, May 9: A Dalit man's act of riding a horse on the occasion of his wedding resulted in the social boycott of the Schedule Caste (SC) community at a village in Mehsana district of Gujarat, police said on Thursday.
The upper caste members of Lhor village in Kadi taluka were allegedly unhappy with the groom's move of riding the horse, the incident which occurred on Tuesday, police said.
Village sarpanch Vinuji Thakor, along with some other village leaders, had issued a diktat asking the villagers to boycott the Dalit community members, police said, adding that Thakor was arrested in this connection on Thursday.
"On May 7, a wedding procession of one Mehul Parmar passed through the village. Since Parmar is a Dalit, some village leaders raised objections and asked the members of the community not to cross the limits," Deputy Superintendent of Police, Manjita Vanzara, said.
"Next day, some prominent villagers announced a social boycott of Dalits. A penalty of Rs 5,000 was also announced on those who talk to the members of the community or carry out any kind of transactions with them," Vanzara, who reached the village after getting a call from Dalit villagers on Thursday, said.
She added that apart from the arrest of village sarpanch, Vinuji Thakor, cases were registered against four others under relevant sections of the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act.
Talking to reporters, Mehul Parmar said that following the call for boycott, shopkeepers even refused to sell milk or other essential grocery items.
"Some villagers asked me not to take out a procession while I was riding a horse. We then sought police's help after we learned about the social boycott today morning. No one even gave us milk in the morning to make tea," he said.
Another member of the community, Vandana Parmar, said that out of fear, autorickshaw drivers from the village even refused to ferry them.
"Villagers were angry because a Dalit groom rode a horse during the wedding procession. We were told that Dalits do not have a right to do so. Due to the boycott, no villager is ready to provide milk, water or food items to us. Even auto drivers denied us ride till nearby Kadi town," she said.
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Bengal: Hours after killing of Suvendu's aide, cops say 5 BJP workers injured in bomb attack
Kolkata (PTI): Five BJP supporters have been injured allegedly in a bomb blast in Panihati in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district, police said on Thursday.
The incident occurred late on Wednesday night, hours after Chandranath Rath, a close aide of BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari, was shot dead by motorcycle-borne assailants, which led to the saffron camp accusing the TMC of unleashing retaliatory violence.
The bomb blast occurred near St Xavier's Institution in Panihati. Unidentified assailants hurled crude bombs at a group of BJP workers, injuring at least five people, police said, adding the injured were admitted to the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata.
According to local sources, BJP workers were interacting with residents on Dutta Road in Panihati's Ward number 2 when a group of motorcycle-borne persons allegedly targeted them with bombs before fleeing.
The BJP alleged that the attackers were backed by the ruling Trinamool Congress, an allegation denied by the Mamata Banerjee-led party.
A senior police official said, "We have started an investigation and are examining CCTV footage from the surrounding areas to identify those involved. Raids are being conducted to nab the accused."
A heavy police deployment has been made in the area.
"We are maintaining strict vigil and appealing to people not to spread rumours. Necessary steps are being taken to maintain peace," the officer added.
Incidentally, the area where the blast occurred is located near the residence of newly elected BJP MLA Ratna Debnath, the mother of the RG Kar Hospital rape victim.
