JAMMU: Strongly condemning the brutal assaults on Dalits besides other marginalised sections of the society in the country and the State in particular, Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party (JKNPP) staged a vociferous demonstration seeking arrest and stringent action against the culprits for perpetuating atrocities on the said community.
A strong contingent of Panthers activists spearheaded by Harsh Dev Singh Chairman JKNPP and Balwant Singh Mankotia State President Panthers Party along with other leaders assembled at Exhibition Ground, here and raised anti-government slogans.
Expressing grave concern over the increased atrocities on Dalits in the country in the recent past, Harsh said that since the formation of the BJP Government at the Centre, the Scheduled Castes and other marginalised sections of the society were being victimised, abused, assaulted and insulted.
He referred to the case of burning alive of the two Dalit youths in Faridabad with a Central Minister making the ‘Dog remark’ in the gruesome tragedy. Likewise, he said that a Dalit boy was arrested by Haryana Police by BJP Government on charges of theft of a pigeon in Gohana town of Haryana and later only his body was found from an isolated place.
He said that the recent incident of the death of the Dalit scholar Rohit Vemula had further exposed the BJP led Government with its ministers making highly mischievous, fabricated and provocative statements.
He regretted that the Central Government had failed to see through the pain and agony of the Dalits with its ministers making irresponsible utterances thus forcing a team of Dalit professors to tender mass resignations from their administrative posts.
Referring to the atrocities inflicted upon the SCs in the State,
Harsh recalled the recent case of SC youth Bishan Dass who was brutally attacked in a Ramnagar temple by certain notorious characters. He said that despite the innocent youth having been assaulted, abused and mercilessly beaten by the anti social elements in Sitla Mata Mandir Balot at Rasli Thakrai Village of Tehsil Ramnagar, the concerned police officers have enlarged the culprits on bail without arresting them.
He sought registration of case against the culprits under Prevention of Atrocities on SCs Act while regretting that the police slapped only minor offences including sec 147, 336 and 323 of RPC against the accused because of political patronage enjoyed by the criminals who claimed to be BJP workers and cronies of MLA Ramnagar.
Seeking the registration of cases under sec 307 for attempt to murder and atrocities on SCs, he further cautioned the authorities not to provide immunity to the criminals on the directions of notorious politicians.
Mankotia while expressing anguish over the soaring crime rate against the Dalits in the State said that Ramnagar Constituency had witnessed several incidents of atrocities on such deprived communities. He said that only a few months back a procession of SCs led by Des Raj in support of their demand for reservation in promotions was attacked by BJP goons in Ramnagar. He said that none was arrested and the matter was closed by the police on the basis of a written apology sought by the accused BJP worker.
Demanding stern action against the culprits, NPP leaders urged for the personal intervention of the Governor and Chief Minister into the heinous attack on the poor SC youth Bishan Dass. They further demanded an enquiry by constituting a SIT into all cases of atrocities against SCs in Ramnagar during the last 20 months.
Prominent among those who spoke on the occasion included Rajesh Padgotra, Sham Gorkha, Gagan Partap, Pushpinder Manhas, Nirmal Kishore, Narinder Sharma, Shankar Singh Sanju and Ajeet Sharma.