Dalit youth beaten to death in MP, 8 held; Oppn targets BJP govt
Bhopal/Sagar (PTI): A Dalit community youth was allegedly beaten to death by a group of people over an old enmity in Madhya Pradesh's Sagar district, police on Sunday said, adding they have arrested eight persons so far in this connection.
The opposition Congress and as well as the Bahujan Samaj Party (BJP) hit out at the Bharatiya Janata Party government over the incident, which took place on Thursday.
The ruling BJP, however, said action was promptly taken in the case and it was fortunate that Congress president Mallikarjin Kharge and his party leaders adopt a selective approach on crimes.
The assembly polls in the state are due this year-end.
The deceased, Nitin Ahirwar aka Lalu, in the age group of 18 to 20 years and a resident of Barodia Nonagir village under Khurai Dehat (rural) police station limits, was beaten up on Thursday following which the police registered a case against nine identified and three-four unidentified persons under Indian Penal Code (IPC) section 307 (attempt to murder), Additional Superintendent of Police Sanjeev Uikey said.
The youth died when he was being taken for treatment to a hospital in Sagar, following which IPC section 302 (murder) and provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act were added, Uikey said.
The ASP said according to police records, the deceased was facing seven cases of extortion, beating and theft.
The alleged incident occurred due to an old enmity and the deceased's family members were initially not performing the last rites, claiming the accused were not arrested, he said.
But, the district collector assured them of help under government schemes, the official said, adding that eight accused have been arrested and search for others is underway.
The family members later performed the last rites of the deceased, he said.
Talking to reporters, the deceased's sister alleged her brother was mercilessly beaten to death as some persons were pressuring her for a compromise in an old case of harassment.
Asked about this, ASP Uikey said the deceased's sister filed a FIR in 2019 against four persons, following which a case on charges of threatening and beating was registered and all the four accused were arrested. The case is sub-judice, he added.
Kharge in a post on X on Sunday morning said a Dalit youth was beaten to death in Sagar district of Madhya Pradesh and the "goons" did not even spare his mother.
The prime minister, who is "pretending" to get Sant Ravidas temple built in Sagar, does not even speak on "Dalit and tribal oppression and injustice happening continuously in Madhya Pradesh," he claimed.
Kharge also hit out at the MP chief minister.
"...but the BJP has made Madhya Pradesh a laboratory of Dalit atrocities," Kharge alleged.
The Congress leader claimed the BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh has the highest rate of crimes against Dalits, "three times the national average".
"Modi ji (Prime Minister Narendra Modi), this time the people of Madhya Pradesh are not going to fall under the trap of BJP, you will get the answer to the agony of the deprived and exploited sections of society after a few months. BJP's departure is certain," he added in the post.
BSP chief Mayawati in a post on X also hit out at the BJP government over the incident.
MP Congress chief Kamal Nath also condemned the incident and demanded adequate compensation for the family of the deceased.
Asked about reactions of the opposition leaders on the Sagar incident, MP BJP secretary Rajneesh Agrawal told PTI that his party-led state government acted promptly in case of every crime occurring under its jurisdiction.
There is rule of law in Madhya Pradesh and action was promptly taken in this case also, he said.
"It is unfortunate that Kharge and his party leaders including Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra adopt a selective approach on crimes. They keep silent on atrocities against Dalits in Rajasthan. Do they consider them (such victims) Dalit in Rajasthan?" Agrawal asked.
The Congress governments don't even bother to take action in cases of Dalit atrocities in their respective states, he claimed.
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UDF leaders see local body poll trends as pointer to 2026 Assembly elections in Kerala
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): Buoyed by the strong performance of the Congress-led UDF in the local body polls, KPCC president Sunny Joseph said on Saturday that the front's results indicated the people had rejected the LDF government.
According to early trends, the UDF was leading in more grama panchayats, block panchayats, municipalities and corporations than the LDF.
The local body polls were held in two phases in the state earlier this week.
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Speaking to reporters here, Joseph said the people of Kerala had extended their support to the UDF.
"We could expose the LDF government’s anti-people stance and the people understood it. The LDF’s fake propaganda was rejected by the people. The UDF is moving towards a historic victory," he said.
He said a united effort, proper preparations, good candidate selection and hard work had resulted in the Congress and the UDF’s victory in the elections.
Asked about the prospects in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, Joseph said the party was studying the matter and would comment later.
LDF convenor T P Ramakrishnan said the results would be closely examined.
According to him, the government had done everything possible for the people.
"Why such a verdict happened will be examined at the micro level. People’s opinion will be considered and further steps will be taken," he said.
He added that decisions would be taken after analysing the results. "If any corrective measures are required, we will initiate them and move forward," he said.
AICC leader K C Venugopal said the results showed that people had begun ousting those who, he alleged, were responsible for the loss of gold at Lord Ayyappa’s temple.
"This trend will continue in the Assembly elections as well. It is an indication that the people are ready to bring down the LDF government," he said.
Venugopal said the UDF had registered victories even in CPI(M) and LDF strongholds.
"I congratulate all UDF workers for their hard work. Congress workers and leaders worked unitedly," he said.
Referring to remarks made by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan against the Congress on polling day, Venugopal said the voters had responded through the verdict.
"I do not know whether the chief minister understands that the people are against him. Otherwise, he does not know the sentiment of the people. The state government cannot move an inch further," he said.
He said the results indicated a strong comeback for the UDF in Kerala.
Asked whether the Sabarimala gold loss issue had affected the LDF in the local polls, Venugopal said the CM and the CPI(M) state secretary did not take the issue seriously.
"We took a strong stand on the matter. The BJP played a foul game in it," he alleged.
On the BJP's role in the local body elections, Venugopal alleged that the party operated with the CPI(M) 's tacit support.
"The CPI(M) supported the central government on issues such as PM-SHRI, labour codes and corruption in national highway construction. The CPI(M) is facing ideological decline, and the state government’s policies are against the party’s own decisions," he said.
Meanwhile, LDF ally Kerala Congress (M) leader Jose K Mani said the party could not win all the wards it had expected in the elections.
He congratulated winners from all parties and said the party would closely examine the losses and identify shortcomings. "Later, we will take corrective measures," he added.
Senior Congress leader and MP Rajmohan Unnithan said the trends in the local body elections indicated that the UDF would return to power in the 2026 Assembly elections.
"We will win 111 seats as in 1977 and return to power in 2026. The anti-government sentiment of the people is reflected in the elections," he said.
Unnithan said the people were disturbed and unhappy with the present government.
"The trend indicates the end of the LDF government," he added.
CPI(M) MLA M M Mani said the people had shown ingratitude towards the LDF despite benefiting from welfare schemes.
"After receiving all welfare schemes and living comfortably, people voted against us due to some temporary sentiments. Is that not ingratitude," he asked.
Mani said no such welfare initiatives had taken place in Kerala earlier.
"People are receiving pensions and have enough to eat. Even after getting all this, they voted against us. This is what can be called ingratitude," he said.
Muslim League state president Panakkad Sayyid Sadiq Ali Shihab Thangal said the results were beyond expectations.
"The outcome points towards the Secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram, indicating that a change of government is imminent. We are going to win the Assembly election," he said.
