<p>An invite for holding a meeting at 11 am on Wednesday was sent to the dalit leaders and taluk-level officers. Accordingly, some dalit leaders and tahsildar B Vani arrived at the spot. <br /><br />Officials absent<br /><br />When some taluk-level officers did not attend the meeting even after the scheduled time, tahsildar left the place saying the issue would be brought to the notice of the deputy commissioner and the meeting would be held at a later date.<br /><br />Dalit leaders stressed the social welfare officer to summon the tahsildar to the spot as they had to bring to her notice on the absence and negligence of the officials. <br /><br />They even shouted slogans against the district administration and officials and staged a protest in front of the office.<br /><br />The tahsildar again arrived at the spot and pacified the leaders and said the meeting would be convened at a later date as some officials were absent. They alleged that a forest official had harassed a dalit woman in Basavanahalli in the taluk and a barber had severed the nose of a dalit at Kirugavalu. <br /><br />But the officials are turning a blind eye towards the issue. If the officials do not take any steps to protect the dalits, the protest would be intensified, they warned.</p>
<p>An invite for holding a meeting at 11 am on Wednesday was sent to the dalit leaders and taluk-level officers. Accordingly, some dalit leaders and tahsildar B Vani arrived at the spot. <br /><br />Officials absent<br /><br />When some taluk-level officers did not attend the meeting even after the scheduled time, tahsildar left the place saying the issue would be brought to the notice of the deputy commissioner and the meeting would be held at a later date.<br /><br />Dalit leaders stressed the social welfare officer to summon the tahsildar to the spot as they had to bring to her notice on the absence and negligence of the officials. <br /><br />They even shouted slogans against the district administration and officials and staged a protest in front of the office.<br /><br />The tahsildar again arrived at the spot and pacified the leaders and said the meeting would be convened at a later date as some officials were absent. They alleged that a forest official had harassed a dalit woman in Basavanahalli in the taluk and a barber had severed the nose of a dalit at Kirugavalu. <br /><br />But the officials are turning a blind eye towards the issue. If the officials do not take any steps to protect the dalits, the protest would be intensified, they warned.</p>
