Dalits protest over crime against community members, detained

Enraged over the recent incidents of crime against Dalits in Gujarat, activists from the community today held a protest outside the state secretariat in Gandhinagar, during which some of them were detained.
Dalit agitation spearhead Jignesh Mevani was also detained from his residence in Ahmedabad early this morning, to prevent him from taking part in the protest.
The activists, associated with the 'Rashtriya Dalit Adhikar Manch', were detained by Gandhinagar police before they could enter the secretariat complex this afternoon.
"We have detained around six Dalit activists from outside the Sachivalaya (secretariat). They will be released later," Deputy Superintendent of Police, H M Jadeja, said.

Those detained include, Subodh Parmar, Kaushik Parmar and Dixit Parmar.
During the protest and subsequent detention, these activists shouted anti-BJP slogans and demanded the resignation of minister of state for home, Pradeepsinh Jadeja. They alleged that atrocities against Dalits are on a rise under the BJP rule.

Meghaninagar police inspector Dinesh Punadiya said Mevani was also detained from his residence in Meghaninagar area in the city early today morning to prevent him from attending the protests at Gandhinagar.
"We have put Mevani under preventive detention since morning. He will be released soon," he said.
In a statement issued before the protest, the Rashtriya Dalit Adhikar Manch said the protest was planned to express anger against some recent incidents, wherein Dalits were either killed by upper caste men or thrashed.

Subodh Parmar of the Manch alleged that Dalits are feeling unsafe under the BJP government.
He was referring to three incidents of attack on Dalits in Limbodara village of Gandhinagar district and an alleged murder of a youth in Anand district in the last 10 days.
Yesterday, two unidentified men slashed the back of a 17-year-old dalit teenager Digant Maheria in Limbodara.
Digant is the cousin of Piyush Parmar, who was allegedly thrashed by some Rajput men in Limbodara on September 25 for "sporting a moustache".
On September 29, Krunal Maheria (30) from the same village had alleged in his complaint that he was assaulted by some Rajput men for the same reason.

On October 1, a dalit man, Jayesh Solanki (21), was allegedly beaten to death by some upper caste men of Patel community at Bhadrania village of Anand district following an altercation over watching garba.