Dalit girl attacked by priest in Uttar Pradesh for trying to draw water from temple well

Amid reports of atrocities against the Dalit community, a minor girl and her father were beaten up by a temple priest in Gunnaur in Uttar Pradesh’s Sambhal district when the girl tried drawing water from the temple well.

The 13-year-old was denied water by the priest due to her Dalit status, reported ANI. After the father confronted the priest over the issue, he was attacked with a trident. A few followers of the priest also joined in the attack against the family.

The police have launched an investigation and also arrested the accused. A case was registered against the priest under SC and ST Act after family protested.

Gunnaur (Sambhal,UP): 13 year old girl denied drinking water at a temple by priest on account of her being a Dalit pic.twitter.com/3hRACsauwy

— ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) August 10, 2016

Girl's father attacked by the temple priest with a trident after he confronted the latter over the issue.

— ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) August 10, 2016

Case registered against the priest after family's protest under SC&ST Act; accused have been arrested.

— ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) August 10, 2016

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his visit in Telangana, had come down heavily against the cow vigilantes and Dalit atrocities, and had made an emotional appeal, “if you have to attack, attack me” but stop attacking “my Dalit bretheren”.

“I know this problem is social. It is a result of sins which have crept into the society… But we need to take extra care and save society from such danger (of social strife),” he had said.

This is the second incident against Dalits since Modi’s town hall speech when he first broke his silence against the self-styled gau rakshaks.

Earlier this week, two Dalit youth were beaten by a mob of gau rakshaks in Andhra Pradesh after they skinned a cow which had died due to electrocution.

Last month, an incident of flogging of a Dalit family at Una in Gujarat had created countrywide uproar over cow vigilantism.