Priyanka alleges police attack on Dalits in Azamgarh, SP says constables attacked

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Monday hit out at the Uttar Pradesh government’s “anti-Dalit mentality”, claiming that she had received information about a police attack on Dalit families in a village in Azamgarh district in connection with an incident that occurred on June 29.

“There is information coming about attacks on Dalit families by UP Police in Palia village of Raunapar, Azamgarh. Several houses have been damaged and a case has been registered against hundreds. This shows the anti-Dalit mentality of the government machinery. Immediate action should be taken against those responsible and victims should be given compensation,” Gandhi tweeted in Hindi.

The police said that the Palia village chief and his associates beat up a man on June 29 for filming his son and others harassing some girls. They are also accused of assaulting two policemen.

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Azamgarh SP Sudhir Kumar Singh told The Indian Express that village pradhan Munna Paswan’s sons and their associates were passing comments at girls at the village market. “A local, Littan Biswas, started making a video. Munna arrived, and he and others beat up the man. Two constables reached and they too were attacked by Munna.”

Local Congress leaders accused police of surrounding the Dalit hamlet and looting them. The SP dismissed the allegation.