Non-Gujaratis, especially those hailing from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, were targeted in several parts of the state following the arrest of a Bihar native for allegedly raping a 14-month-old girl in Sabarkantha district last week, police said on Friday.
Director General of Police Shivanand Jha said such attacks have taken place in Mehsana, Gandhinagar, Sabarkantha, Patan and Ahmedabad districts in the last one week and 170 people have been arrested in connection with the incidents.
The attacks took place after hate messages against non-Gujaratis, particularly those from Bihar and UP, were circulated on social media, he said.
On September 28, a 14-month-old girl was allegedly raped in a village near Himmatnagar town of Sabarkantha district, around 100 km from Ahmedabad, the police had said.
The victim belongs to the Thakor community.
One Ravindra Sahu, a labourer hailing from Bihar and working in a local ceramic factory, was arrested the same day for the toddler's rape, the police had said. On of the persons who was apparently attacked claimed Friday some non-Gujaratis were going back to their native places.
"We were attacked by Thakor Sena members last night at Kalol town of Gandhinagar. This is injustice to us. That is why we are going back to our native places as we feel unsafe here," the person from Madhya Pradesh before boarding a bus claimed. Congress MLA Alpesh Thakor, who heads the Kshatriya Thakor Sena, appealed to his community and members of his outfit, who were allegedly involved in the attacks, to maintain peace, sayingnon-Gujaratis are also our "brothers".