Protests in Muzaffarnagar against Dalit youth's assault

Dalit outfits  on  Wednesday took to the streets in Muzaffarnagar   in Uttar Pradesh to protest   against the assault on a Dalit youth by saffron activists.  

Members of both the Dalit and saffron outfits came out on the streets  in protest against the incident, which occurred on Tuesday.  

While the Dalit outfits demanded the arrest of the people who had assaulted the youth, the saffron activists protested against the detention of two women, who  are family members of one of the culprit's family.

The  youth had been brutally thrashed at Purkaji in the district. Tension flared up after  a video of the assault went viral on social networking sites.

The victim was a member of the Bheem Army, a Dalit outfit, whose president Chandrashekhar  is in jail in connection with last year's Saharanpur caste clashes, which left two dead and scores others injured.

The state police have invoked the National Security Act against Chandrashekhar.

The victim, identified as Vipin, had embraced Buddhism after the Saharanpur clashes and had been active in persuading other members of the Dalit community to remove the pictures of Hindu gods and goddesses from their homes and  convert  to his religion.

Four youths, all members of an upper caste, have been booked in this connection.

According to the police, tension is simmering in some western districts in the state and it could flare up in the days to come.

Officials in the western districts have been directed to take all possible measures to defuse the tension and prevent caste clashes.