100 arrested over Dalit protests, 47 cases registered

Police personnel disperse protesters who were trying to block the Delhi-Gurugram Expressway during the ‘Bharat Bandh’ call by Dalit organisations on Monday.

Police personnel disperse protesters who were trying to block the Delhi-Gurugram Expressway during the ‘Bharat Bandh’ call by Dalit organisations on Monday.   | Photo Credit: PTI

Haryana BSP accuses BJP of registering false cases

A hundred people were arrested and 47 cases were registered across Haryana on Tuesday in connection with the sporadic incidents of violence in different parts of the State on Monday as part of the nationwide bandh against the Supreme Court order allegedly diluting certain provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

Vehicles damaged

In a press statement, Haryana Director General of Police B.S. Sandhu said the situation in the State remained largely under control during Bharat Bandh protests but some anti-social elements resorted to violence and damaged public property.

Mr. Sandhu, further, said that 84 police personnel and eight civilians were also injured in the incidents of sporadic violence.

Besides, 24 government vehicles and 60 private vehicles were also damaged.

The protesters had thrown stones on two trains, including Shatabdi Express, and shutters and glasses of six shops were broken.

‘Political vendetta’

Meanwhile, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Haryana, general-secretary, Krishan Jamalpur accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of registering false cases against party leaders and several other Dalit leaders across the State as political vendetta.

He accused the BJP’s workers of mixing up with the demonstrators who were carrying out peaceful demonstration and resorting to violence to bring bad name to the Dalits.

Though protesters across the State had blocked road traffic and forced closure of shops and commercial establishments, the protests had turned violent in Kaithal, Karnal and Faridabad.

The protesters in Kaithal had blocked the railway track and threw stones on the police.

The police had lobbed teargas shells to control the mob.

Policemen injured

In Faridabad, the protesters had blocked the Delhi-Mathura Highway, a railway track and threw stones at police teams injuring a dozen policemen on Monday.

In Gurugram, the protesters had blocked the Delhi-Gurugram Expressway for over two hours.