Lucknow: BSP chief and former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mayawati on Friday urged the Gujarat government to effectively pursue the 2016 Una Dalit flogging case in the high court to ensure strict punishment for those responsible.
A special court in Veraval in Gujarat’s Gir Somnath district had on March 16 convicted five persons and acquitted 35 others in the case, in which four Dalit men were assaulted while skinning a dead cow. The incident had triggered nationwide protests.
In a post on X, Mayawati alleged that the acquittal of most of the accused reflected “government bias, negligence and apathy” towards the interests and safety of Dalits.
She said the victim families were facing serious financial and other challenges in challenging the trial court’s verdict before the high court.
“This disturbing reality has caused deep concern, particularly among the Bahujan community. I am especially concerned because I had personally met the victims after the incident and, after learning the facts, demanded strict action against all the guilty from the state government,” she said.
Mayawati said that despite widespread outrage across the country, the acquittal of 35 of the 40 accused in March appeared to be the result of the Gujarat government’s “bias against Dalits and negligence towards their welfare and security”.
“There is still an opportunity. The government should rectify its mistake by properly contesting the case in the high court so that all the guilty receive strict punishment. This will ensure justice for the victims and serve as a deterrent to others,” she said.
The BSP chief also demanded that the Gujarat government provide the victims’ families with legal counsel of their choice at the state’s expense.
She said such a measure would be in line with the legal aid provisions introduced during her tenure as Uttar Pradesh chief minister to ensure free legal assistance for the poor.
