Jagatsinghpur: Jagatsinghpur police arrested Saturday the president of the Odisha unit of the Republican Party of India (RPI), Sk Abdul Wali for delivering hate speech interspersed with caste slurs and cuss words at a demonstration here March 12.
The demonstration was held in front of the office of the SP following which the Jagatsinghpur police registered a case (Case No-87/20) against Wali and 70 others.
Sources said, tension has been brewing between Dalits and ‘Sabarnas’ at Repurapatna village under Tirtol police limits in this district for some time now . To normalise the situation, a peace committee had been formed a few days back. Also a peace meeting has been scheduled for March 16 to diffuse the situation.
However, much to everyone’s surprise, the Rashtriya Dalit Mahasabha held a demonstration in front of the SP office March 12 which was also attended by Wali, where he made the alleged hate speech.
When contacted, Jagatsinghpur police station inspector-in-charge (IIC) Rajanikant Mishra said Repurapatna village is home to 22 dalit and 180 ‘sabarna’ families. Trouble started when the families of the Dalits were denied entry into the village Shiva temple. The Dalit’s lodged a police complaint alleging that they were being entry as they belonged to a lower caste. They named eight-nine members of the sabarna group in their complaint.
Mishra however said that to diffuse the situation a peace panel comprising the tehsildar and sarpanch of Tirtol and other senior citizens. However, even before the meeting could be conducted, the March 12 demonstration took place.
Mishra said that during the demonstration a number of speakers including Wali had said that they would destroy the temple. “They also made very sensitive comments that could have affected the situation. They also threatened the sabarnas and said that they would be kicked out of the country once the new Citizenship Amendment Act is implemented. Such comments were uncalled for so Wali has been booked and arrested,” Mishra informed.
PNN
