Date:13/05/2005 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2005/05/13/stories/2005051303770300.htm

Karnataka - Belgaum

Atrocities against Dalits condemned

Staff Correspondent

BELGAUM: The Bahujan Samaj Party has appealed to all the progressive sections of society to condemn the increasing atrocities and insulting treatment by fundamentalist forces against Dalits in the State and other parts of the country.

The party staged a daylong dharna in front of the office of the Deputy Commissioner to protest against the desecration of the statue of Dr. Ambedkar in Nipani on April 15. Miscreants had desecrated the statue the day after Ambedkar Jayanti. However, the police are yet to trace the anti-social elements responsible for the act.

The president of the party's State unit, B. Gopal; the vice-president of the State unit, Syed Roshan Mulla; the general secretary, Marasandra Muniyappa; and the president of Belgaum unit, Saukar Kamble, participated in the dharna. While addressing the protestors, party leaders expressed dissatisfaction over the delay in arresting the miscreants and urged the police to nab the culprits soon.