Dalit leader and Vadgam MLA Jignesh Mevani questioned the Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani on Tuesday about the attacks on Dalits in the state and his silence on the matter.

“Life has become hell for Dalits in Gujarat,” he said. “In the last few days there have been at least four incidents where Dalits have faced violence or ostracisation for daring to climb a horse or get in a car. The simple act of taking out a wedding procession has become fraught with risk for them. Yet, Gujarat’s CM has remained silent about the incidents.”

He added that not even BJP MLAs, who have won from a scheduled caste seat, have bothered to lodge their protest.

“In every village where this violence took place, it was the first instance of a Dalit family daring to have a wedding procession. This means even after seven decades of the country’s independence, Dalits cannot enjoy small celebrations in this state,” Mevani emphasized.

He added that there will be protests across the state calling for boycott of the Rupani government. 

He said the instances of violence against Dalits in Gujarat had risen from 24.4 per cent in 2014 to 28.4 per cent in 2016. “This has been the trend across the country, wherever the BJP government has come to power,” he said, adding that in many cases, such as the one in Aravalli, the police could not protect Dalits, despite appeals beforehand. “Video clippings clearly show DySP Phalguni Patel abusing Dalits instead of protecting them,” said Mevani, pushing for the cop to be booked.

When asked whether he had sought PAAS leader Hardik Patel’s support in the Aravalli incident (Patels had blocked the wedding procession), Mevani said such incidents should not require an invitation to show their support.

“In two other incidents, the police gave protection to a cop’s wedding,” he continued, “If a Dalit cop can’t have a wedding procession without the presence of police, what hope do others have?”