Alleging Gujarat government's collusion in the Dalit thrashing incident, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday dubbed it "anti-Dalit" and accused the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party of "trampling" upon the depressed sections.
Kejirwal targeted the BJP after meeting the victims in Rajkot civil hospital first and visiting Mota Samadhiyala village in Una to meet their family members, a day after Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi met the victims.
Seven persons of Dalit community were brutally thrashed by cow vigilantes for skinning a dead cow on July 11, triggering nationwide condemnation.
The Aam Aadmi Party chief also alleged that the Gujarat government first allows crimes be carried out on Dalits and then slaps false cases on people who come out in protest on streets. He alleged that the dalit victims were beaten up at the behest of the administration.
"The beating happened in front of a police station in the presence of police, with police batons...it means this is happening at the behest of the administration. Why is police silent ? Why is it involved ? This means there is some direction from the top administration," he told reporters.
"The BJP government in Gujarat is inflicting atrocities on Dalits, it is anti-Dalit," he said.
"The BJP first sends its goons to beat dalits, and when their community members come out on the streets to protest, false cases are filed against them," Kejriwal alleged.
Kejriwal also rubbished BJP's contention that leaders are making a beeline to Gujarat only to make political gains.
"Our politics is for justice of Dalits, while BJP's politics is for trampling upon them," Kejriwal said in reply to a question on politics behind the visit.
Apart from Rahul Gandhi and leaders of other non-BJP parties, Gujarat chief minister Anandiben Patel had visited the victims on Wednesday.
A Trinamool Congress parliamentary delegation is slated to come to Rajkot and Una on Saturday and Janata Dal-United leader Sharad Yadav is also expected to meet the victim's family.
Kejriwal also questioned the state government's intent to carry out investigation without showing bias against Dalits.
He said only 16 persons have been arrested while 40-50 people were involved in the incident. "Why are others not held so far? The victims told me that the accused were members of Shiv Sena. The government is trying to save them," he alleged.
Kejriwal also triggered a controversy by meeting a Dalit youth arrested for allegedly murdering a police head constable in Amreli during protests over the thrashing of youths from the community by cow vigilantes.
It evoked strong reaction from the BJP, whose Saurashtra- Kutch spokesperson Raju Dhruv said the Delhi CM's aim was to make "personal and political gains."
