Rahul attacks govt over atrocities against Dalits

Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Saturday attacked the Modi government over alleged rising atrocities against Dalits, citing a media report which claimed that BJP-ruled states registered the highest number of crimes against the Scheduled Castes.

Gandhi's remarks came days after he accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of having an "anti-Dalit" mindset.

"Mr 56's best buddy, asked me to 'check my facts' when I said the BJP fuels violence against Dalits & Adivasis," he tweeted.

"I hope the fact check I'm attaching below, will wake him and Mr 56 up from their deep slumber on these rising atrocities; or I and the Congress party will," he said, tagging a media report which cited the National Crime Records Bureau data of 2016 to claim that BJP-ruled states registered the highest number of crimes against the Scheduled Castes.

Gandhi has been taking at a swipe at Modi over his "56-inch chest" remark made at election rallies in the run-up to the 2014 polls.

BJP chief Amit Shah had targeted the Congress chief to look at facts before criticising the government over issues related to the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes.

Shah had also alleged that it was the opposition party that had a legacy of insulting Dalits.