Members of the Bhim Army on Thursday said they would move the International Court of Justice (ICJ) if the culprits of the caste-based violence in Saharanpur were not brought to book.
“Neither the police nor the government is helping us. If India can go to the ICJ for Kulbhushan Jadhav, then we can go there for the protection of Dalits,” said Jai Bhagwan Jatav, a member of the Bhim Army.
The members further said that they would scale up their agitation if the guilty were not arrested soon.
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Bigger movement
“The rally held in Delhi on Sunday was on a small scale. We did not distribute any pamphlets or do any publicity. But, we’ll come out in bigger numbers if those involved in the atrocities against Dalits are not arrested soon,” they said.
The organisation also alleged that the government and the police were not taking proper measures to put an end to the clash between Thakurs and Dalits in Saharanpur.
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“They [government and police] are on the side of the miscreants,” said Mr. Jatav.
Criticising Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Mr. Jatav said he was “not even working as a clerk” when he should act as a gardener who nurtures all plants in his garden.
“There is communal violence in the country and the Prime Minister is not doing anything. He is destroying the country,” he said.
Meanwhile, Ravi Kumar Gautam, another known face of the Bhim Army after Chandrashekhar Azad Ravan (who’s gone into hiding), said former Uttar Pradesh Senior Superintendent of Police Subhash Chandra Dubey had accused Mr. Azad of being in possession of unaccounted money.
Defamation case
“Mr. Azad’s account was found to have only ₹800. We’ll file a case of defamation against Mr. Dubey,” he said. He also alleged that the administration was planning to implicate Mr. Azad on false charges.
“We are not in touch with Mr. Azad. During a recent TV show, he said he would surrender. But we don’t trust the police. We don’t know what they’ll do to him,” said Mr. Gautam.
Responding to rumours that the Bhim Army is affiliated to a political party, Mr. Gautam said, “We never met Mayawati. If we do, we won’t be able to fight the battle we want to,” he said.