NEW DELHI: Expressing concern over increasing atrocities on Dalits, Opposition members in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday called for a judicial inquiry by a sitting Supreme Court judge. As members across political lines condemned the violence in Pune, Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu appealed to them to avoid making comments that can further raise the tempers. “Our efforts should be that tempers come down and the situation is brought back to normal,” Naidu said.
Congress’s Rajani Patil said the state government did not take enough measures to control the situation. “The violence was started by people associated with the Hinduwadi outfits and strict action be taken against them,” he said.
Trinamool MP Nadimul Haque said the Koregaon incident was not an isolated one and there was a pattern. This “political lynching must immediately stop”, he said.
NCP leader Sharad Pawar informed the House about history and importance of the place and said people were hurt after the incident. The Shiv Sena also condemned the incident.
Meanwhile, Congress chief Rahul Gandhi discussed the fallout of Maharashtra caste violence with state leaders, including general secretary in-charge Mohan Prakash, Ashok Chavan and Sanjay Nirupam, and deployed Dalit leaders to corner the BJP over the issue.