In what apparently points to new caste and social tensions in the Samajwadi Party-ruled Uttar Pradesh, Dalits have been prevented from performing puja in temples by persons belonging to other castes in Bareilly and Chandauli districts in the past couple of days.
Though the police claim that normalcy has been restored, a case has been registered on the complaint of a Dalit in Bareilly. According to a senior police officer, force has been deployed at both places to ensure “there is no caste tension”.
In the first case, Badhi Lal Valmiki of Sahasa village filed a complaint at the Bisharatganj police station in Bareilly district on Sunday against some influential persons of the village who prevented him from performing puja in the temple. I-G (Law & Order) Badri Prasad Singh told reporters here on Tuesday that police reached the village on receipt of the complaint and brokered a peace and the issue was settled amicably. The Dalits were allowed to resume their puja in the temple.
However, acting on Mr. Balmiki’s complaint the police have registered a case against Virendra Singh and others of Sahasa village.
In Chandauli district, a Scheduled Caste family in Kazipur village was prevented from performing religious rituals at the Shiva temple on Monday by some persons, said the I-G. When the police intervened following a complaint, the Dalits were accused of sacrificing a rooster in the temple the last time they came which is why they had been barred from entering the temple. The move was opposed by the Dalits, who claimed that they had been performing puja at the temple for years.