Dalit issue kept alive by Oppn to defame Guj, Modi: Rupani

Gandhinagar, Aug 19 (PTI) Gujarat Chief Minister VijayRupani today took a jibe at the opposition parties on theissue of Dalit atrocities in Una, saying they were trying tokeep the issue alive "to defame Gujarat, Prime MinisterNarendra Modi and the BJP". "The opposition parties are interested in keeping theissue alive to defame Gujarat, Prime Minister Narendra Modiand BJP. Though the (Una) incident was unfortunate, thepolitical parties are fanning it to stop BJP from coming topower in Uttar Pradesh," Rupani said at a event here. "Figures of cases of atrocities on dalits across thecountry prove that Gujarat is one of the state where crimesagainst them are low," he claimed. Rupani rubbished Congress’ allegation of ‘300 percentincrease in the cases against Dalits in Gujarat’ as "false". "When we compare crime against Dalits during pastCongress rule in Gujarat and during the BJP rule, the caseshave decreased in BJP regime," he said. Rupani claimed that the state government had taken"prompt action" in the incident as all the main culprits werearrested the next day. Seven members of Dalit community from Mota Samadhiyalavillage of Una tehsil of Gir Somnath district were brutallyassaulted by some self-styled cow vigilantes for skinning acow on July 11. The incident sparked wide-spread protests after videosof the beating went public. Several political leaders likeCongress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, Delhi Chief MinisterArvind Kejriwal and BSP supremo Mayawati had visited thefamilies of the victims. Around 36 persons have been arrested in connectionwith the case so far. PTI PD NRBCHTJMF