Over 50 members of the Dalit community from Gujarat were detained by the police at Jhansi railway station as they were coming to lucknow by train to gift Chief Minister a 125 kilogram soap to protest recent distribution of soap and shampoo to Dalits by the CM in Kushinagar.
Interestingly, top UP Police feigned ignorance about any such dtention of Dalits at Jhansi. In lucknow too, a retired Dalit IPS officer was arrested along with his supporters as he decided to protest against the Chief Minister.
As per reports, over 50 Dalit persons from Gujarat boarded the lucknow-bound Sabarmati Express from Ahmedabad to reach lucknow and gift a 125 Kg Rs soap’ with lord Buddha printed on it to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
Their agitation stemmed from the fact that some days back, Yogi gifted shampoo and soaps to some Dalits in Kushninagar. The members claimed that Yogi’s move pointed that the Dalits were dirty and needed to clean themselves.
After apperhensive inputs by State Intelligence, personnel and officials of Government Railway Police and the Jhansi Police officials swung into action and as the train reached Jhansi on Monday morning.
They entered into the Sleeper Coach and forcibly took all the Dalits from the Gujrat into their custody and allowed the train to move to its destination. The cops cited no reason to the Dalits about their sudden detention.
“We were illegally detained as we wanted to present a soap to the CM and tell him that Dalits were as neat and clean as other members of the society. We do not need anyone to give us soaps for keeping ourselves clen,” claimed a member reacting to the police action.
“Yogi will have to pay the price for unwanted action against us. Our community will wash the BJP with soap in the next elections both in Gujarat as well as in other parts of the country,” charged another agitated member.