Dalit man stripped, beaten up at eatery in Gujarat, MLA Jignesh Mevani threatens state bandh
Ahmedabad, Nov 4: A 30-year-old Dalit man was thrashed allegedly by four men from an OBC community on late Sunday night in Sabarmati area of Ahmedabad in Gujarat on a petty issue, police said on Monday.
As per the complaint filed with police, Pragnesh Parmar was hit by Mahesh Thakor, Jogi Thakor and two others when he went to Mahesh's eatery for dinner and accidentally dropped a dish, said Inspector RH Vala of Sabarmati police station.
The matter escalated on Monday with Dalit leader and Independent MLA Jignesh Mevani threatening a "Gujarat bandh" if the accused were not arrested within 24 hours.
"When Parmar accidentally dropped a dish while eating on Sunday night, the accused first scolded and abused Parmar and his friend, and beat him up. He has been hospitalised," said Vala.
Vala said a case of attempt to murder has been lodged against Mahesh Thakor and three others and provisions of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act have been invoked.
Mahesh Thakor has been arrested while efforts were on to nab the other three, he added.
In a tweet with a video purportedly of the incident, Mevani said, "I will declare a Gujarat bandh if the police does not arrest the perpetrators in 24 hours who attempted lynching of two Dalit youth in Ahmedabad yesterday night"
"Don't think Dalits are cowards: we believe in Constitution!" Mevani's tweet further said.
TW: Abusive words and violence
— Jignesh Mevani (@jigneshmevani80) November 4, 2019
I will declare a Gujarat Bandh if the police does not arrest the perpetrators in 24 hours who attempted lynching of two Dalit youth in Ahmedabad yesterday night. Don't think Dalits are cowards: we believe in Constitution! pic.twitter.com/1Ge5Nw76Se
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
India-bound LPG tanker clears Hormuz
New Delhi (PTI): A tanker carrying liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) for India has sailed out of the Strait of Hormuz and is now headed towards the country, an official statement said on Sunday.
The Marshall Islands-flagged LPG carrier MT Sarv Shakti, loaded with 46,313 tonnes of LPG and staffed by 20 crew, including 18 Indians, cleared the key shipping chokepoint on May 2 and is expected to reach Visakhapatnam on May 13, it said.
The cargo -- enough to meet half a days requirement of the country -- will partly tide over supply constraints being faced since the start of the West Asia conflict more than two months back.
Ship-tracking data showed its position in Oman Gulf on Sunday evening.
The very large gas carrier has previously made runs between the Persian Gulf and Indian ports, has been chartered by state-owned Indian Oil Corporation (IOC).
Sarv Shakti is the first India-linked tanker to cross the war zone since a weeks-old US blockade of ships tied to Iran began, pushing transits through Hormuz back down to almost zero.
There are as many as 14 Indian flagged or India-owned vessels still stranded on the west side of the Strait of Hormuz.
The statement said no incident involving Indian-flagged vessels has been reported in the past 24 hours. The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways is working closely with the Ministry of External Affairs, Indian missions and maritime stakeholders to ensure crew welfare and uninterrupted operations.
The Directorate General of Shipping (DG Shipping) control room has handled 8,373 calls and more than 17,965 emails since activation, including 38 calls and 127 emails in the last 24 hours.
India has also facilitated the repatriation of more than 2,953 seafarers so far, including 31 in the past day from across the Gulf region.
Port operations across the country remain normal with no congestion reported, the statement added.
