Oppn walks out of LS over attacks on Dalits

Ravi S Singh

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, July 29

The Opposition today staged a walkout in the Lok Saba over atrocities on Dalits and recent beating of two Muslim women by cow vigilantes in BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh, notwithstanding Home Minister Rajnath Singh’s defence of the state government and assurance that culprits would not be spared.

The House witnessed a ruckus before the walkout during Zero Hour when Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge raised the Madhya Pradesh incident. The two women were thrashed by a mob on rumours of them carrying beef for sale in Mandsaur district of the state. “The state’s Animal Husbandry Department tested the meat to be that of a buffalo,” Kharge said.

“Workers of the BJP, RSS and the Gau Rakshak Dal beat up the women in presence of the police. This could not have happened without support of the state government. Similar incidents occurred in Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh,” Kharge added.

This raised hackles of BJP members who remonstrated with Kharge while he was on his feet. Other members of the Congress, Left, TMC, RJD and the JD-U were on their feet and made counter attack on member of the saffron party. Intervention by Speaker Sumitra Mahajan did not subside the frayed tempers. The Congress leader said the atrocities against the Dalits had “increased” since PM Modi took charge. The Home Minister intervened saying the “state government acted promptly in the matter”. This did not assuage the Opposition members. The Congress members led by Sonia Gandhi and Kharge, TMC, Left, RJD and the JD-U staged a walkout.