Rahul Meets Dalits Who Were Thrashed for Skinning Dead Cow in Gujarat

Una (Gujarat): Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi on Thursday met families of Dalit youth who were thrashed for allegedly skinning a dead cow in Gujarat's Una district.

The meeting took place just a day after the Gandhi scion came under fire for sleeping in Parliament during a discussion on attack on Dalits.

Hitting out at Rahul for playing politics of opportunity, Bharatiya Janata Party spokesperson Sambit Patra said, "Rahul Gandhi is doing politics of opportunity. All that has to be done has been done. Accused has been arrested."

Earlier in the day, Nationalist Congress Party MP Praful Patel also met the victims and assured help.

"Social fabric and harmony is being devastated. The Chief Minister just paid a token visit. There is nothing concrete in it. The families are traumatised and are looking to migrate or change their profession. Dalits and minorities are not feeling safe," Patel said.

Protests escalated in Gujarat over the brutal thrashing of the Dalit youths in Una town even as incidents of violence were reported from several places across the state.

Enraged community members took out rallies in towns and cities, blocking roads, damaging buses and even a train was stopped near Vadhvan in Surendranagar district.

The bandh called by Dalit outfits in Gujarat over the Dalit-thrashing issue in Una town evoked mixed response.

Chief Minister Anandiben Patel visited the victims at Rajkot hospital and met their family members at Una on Wednesday, assuring them that stringent action will be taken against the culprits.

The Dalit outfits kept up protests across the state against the assault of some community members on July 11 for allegedly skinning a cow at Una in Gir-Somnath district.

Some parts of Saurashtra and north Gujarat observed total bandh where incidents of stone-pelting, vandalisation of properties, damage to buses and road blockade were witnessed.

The bandh was observed in Junagadh, Bhavnagar, Amreli and some small towns in Saurashtra, and also at Patan town and Aravalli district in North Gujarat.