Walkout from Lok Sabha over dalit issue

Highlighting rising incidents of violence against dalits in the country, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, citing National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data, said that every 18 minutes a crime is committed against the dalits. “Every day three dalit women are raped, two dalits are murdered. Two dalits’ houses are burnt in India. Eleven dalits are beaten. Every week 13 dalits are murdered. Five dalits’ homes or possessions are burnt, Sikh dalits are kidnapped or abducted... Till now 47,064 incidents of crime have occurred, these are only increasing and show no signs of abating,” he informed the Lower House while referring to the incident of two Muslim women being beaten up in Madhya Pradesh on suspicion of carrying beef with them.

Even as Mr Kharge’s comments evoked sharp reactions from the treasury benches, especially from Madhya Pradesh legislators, the Congress member alleged that the people involved in the beating of women included BJP workers and cow vigilantes. He raised the issue during Zero Hour.

Though home minister Rajnath Singh claimed that the state government had acted swiftly and initiated a probe into the incident and that justice will be delivered to the affected women, the Opposition members appeared to be unconvinced with his reply and walked out of the House.

Demanding a ban on cow vigilante groups like Gau Rakshak Sangh, Mr Kharge alleged that they have become a law unto themselves and were being encouraged by BJP governments in states.

“Such incidents can happen only when they have government’s support,” he said, while also referred to reports on Friday that a dalit couple was hacked to death in UP.

Amid cries of “shame, shame” from Opposition benches, the Congress leader said the two women pleaded with the attackers that they were carrying buffalo meat and not cow meat and had produced receipt to make their point. The forensic report, Mr Kharge pointed out, also said it was buffalo meat.

“You (government) will say that it has been happening earlier too, but it has risen after you came to power. It has your support,” he said, drawing support from the Trinamul Congress.

In his brief reply over the incident in Madhya Pradesh, the home minister said, “This is a law and order issue. We all know it is a state matter. The Madhya Pradesh government has acted swiftly and effectively. Investigation is being done. I assure the House that justice will be done and the guilty not spared.”