Social organisation Bahujan Bharat condemned the arrest of Prof Ratan Lal of Delhi University, saying that it was against the constitutional values and violation of the right to freedom of speech.
Addressing a meeting of the organisation, Bahujan Bharat president and retired senior IAS officer Kunwar Fateh Bahadur stressed that the present government was taking action on any complaint against Dalits while the police were silent against those passing derogatory remarks against Dalits.
"Tehsildar Nikhil Shukla of Mohanlalganj tehsil in Lucknow made indecent and derogatory remarks against Dalits. After a month a case was registered against him under SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act, but he has not been arrested yet," Fateh Bahadur said in Lucknow on Saturday.
"On the other hand, the police registered a case against Dalit professor of Lucknow University, Dr Ravi Kant, on the complaint of the activists of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad. If the Dalit professor has put forth his view on the basis of some facts, why should action be taken against him?" the retired IAS officer asked.
Kunwar Fateh Bahadur said that perhaps the government and officials had a different opinion regarding atrocities being committed against the people from Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
In the meeting, Bahujan Samaj general secretary Chintamani, vice-president Nand Kishore, treasurer Ram Kumar Gautam, joint secretary Krishna Kanhaiya Pal, Naval Kishore and Kamal Jayant also expressed their views.