All India Congress Committee's Scheduled Caste cell chief Nitin Raut today alleged that BJP governments in various states were booking "innocent" members of the Dalit community for participating in the Bharat bandh out of "political vendetta".
He demanded that such cases be withdrawn immediately.
"The anti-Dalit face of the BJP stands exposed by the revengeful action of state governments against the Dalits who participated in the peaceful 'Bharat Bandh' agitation on April 2, against the dilution of the provisions of SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities ACT 1989," Raut stated in a release today.
He alleged that BJP leaders and workers were providing names and addresses of Dalit youths to the police in the states ruled by the saffron party, as part of "political vendetta" against backward communities.
"Police are making arrests in night hours and slapping false cases against members of the Dalit community," he said.
Raut said police are also arresting women and children in night while "Dalit youths are fleeing their houses to avoid torture by the police".
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The Congress leader said that instead of arresting the killers of ten Dalits who died during the protests in north India, police officers are taking action against the innocent youths of the community and beating them in custody.
"The police and the government have never taken such repressive and revengeful action against the participants of many other agitations," alleged Raut.
Demanding release of the Dalit community members from police custody, Raut said that cases registered against them be withdrawn immediately.
Dalits held massive protests in many states on April 2 against the Supreme Court decision, which is perceived as "dilution" of the stringent provisions of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.