NEW DELHI — Members of the Dalit community continue to face discrimination and humiliation in various parts of the country, reflecting the persistence of caste-based prejudice.
In a shocking incident in Karnataka, a newly married Dalit couple, Pankaja and Puneeth, visited a temple on Saturday to seek blessings after their wedding. There, a man identified as Narayanappa allegedly confronted them, hurled casteist slurs, and prevented them from entering the temple premises.
Narayanappa was arrested for allegedly forcing the couple to leave the temple.
According to media reports, the accused reportedly pretended to be possessed by a deity and shouted at the couple, saying, “Dalits cannot enter the temple. You go and perform your puja elsewhere. Leave immediately.”
A video of the incident has since gone viral on social media.
Following a complaint filed by Pankaja’s younger brother, Jagadish, at the Turuvekere police station, a case was registered under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The FIR also names several others who allegedly supported the act of untouchability. Police are searching for the remaining suspects, a senior police official was quoted as saying in media reports.
Residents and officials, including Tahasildar NA Kunhi Ahmed and Deputy SP Omprakash, held a peace meeting shortly after the incident to defuse tensions. They also sought to raise awareness about the legal consequences of untouchability and to promote communal harmony.
Incidentally, the episode comes shortly after unrest in Bagalkot during a Shivaji Maharaj Jayanti procession. The procession stopped outside a mosque and Islamophobic slogans were raised. Some individuals also allegedly pelted stones at meat shops. Police conducted a mild lathi-charge to restore order and later brought the situation under control.
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Photo courtesy: The Federal
