UP on alert, Dalit outfits hold demonstration

 An alert was sounded in Uttar Pradesh, which had witnessed large-scale caste violence in Saharanpur district a few months back, after various Dalit outfits staged demonstrations to express solidarity with their community members in Maharashtra.

According to the sources, a Dalit outfit has convened a meeting in communally-sensitive Muzaffarnagar district on Sunday in which thousands of Dalits are expected to take part.

"Attacks on Dalits in different parts of the country may come up for discussion at the meeting," said an official in Muzaffarnagar, about 450 km from here.

Members of the Bheem Sena, a Dalit outfit, and some other groups held demonstrations at Deoband and Saharanpur town decrying reported atrocities on the community in some parts of the country and warned of an agitation if the attacks did not stop.

The authorities were also concerned about messages concerning the caste clashes in Pune that had gone viral on social media platforms.

Police sources said on Thursday that the district police chiefs had been asked to maintain a high degree of alert and keep an eye on the social media platforms. "District police chiefs have been asked to augment security and take prompt action in the event of any flare-up...they have also been asked to monitor the social media messages," said a senior police official.

Two persons were killed and over two dozen injured, when members of Thakur and Dalit communities clashed following a dispute over taking out a procession at Shabbirpur village in Saharanpur district a few months back.

Police had arrested Chandrashekhar, the founder of the Bheem Army. He was released on bail but was re-arrested and booked under National Security Act.