Congress Slams Modi Over His Silence on Dalits

Jalandhar: Congress leader Amarinder Singh today questioned the "mysterious silence" of Prime Minister Narendra Modi over issues of alleged atrocities against Dalits and said a divide among its people does not auger well for an emerging world power.

Condemning a "series of excesses and atrocities" against the members of Dalit community, the Congress' Punjab unit chief said such incidents of class divide can have severe consequences.

"We already have many external enemies ready to destabilise and weaken our country and let us not facilitate them and make their job easy by dividing our own people," he said while addressing a demonstration at Kartarpur near here to protest against the Dalit atrocities.

"I was shocked and shaken after watching the video of three Dalit boys being beaten up after being tied up with a car," he said, adding, "this is the worst crime and the criminals must be dealt with severe punishment."

"It was all the more shameful, since it happened in Modi's home state (Gujarat)," he said.

The PPCC president said "when the country should be concerned about its enemies along the borders like Pakistan and China, there are sections inside, who are trying to divide people."

"Imagine what will happen if we place one community against the other in the name of caste and religion?" he said, adding, India is considered as an emerging power in the world and incidents like these should make everyone feel concerned.

The former Punjab Chief Minister said there appeared to be a pattern in the violence against Dalits.

"Gujarat's was not an isolated incident. It was one in the series," he said, adding, "This is happening in UP, Bihar,Andhra Pradesh and everywhere and the government is watching as a mute spectator."

Amarinder also condemned Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal for his "silence" over what happened in Phagwara, Amarinder also condemned Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal for his "silence" over what happened in Phagwara, where members of two communities, armed with swords and other sharp weapons, clashed on Friday and hurled stones at each other.

He asked Badal to take strong action against trouble mongers.