Congress MLAs Suspended, Workers Detained Over Protests Against Una Flogging

Gandhinagar: Around 50 Congress MLAs on Tuesday were suspended from the state Assembly and nearly 400 of its workers were detained even as the party stepped up its offensive against the BJP government in Gujarat over "atrocities on Dalits", including the Una flogging incident.

While the Assembly witnessed ruckus over the issue, thousands of party workers took out a 'Janakrosh rally' against the "oppressive" government.

Nearly 400 of them, including senior leaders Shankersinh Vaghela, Bharatsinh Solanki, Shaktisinh Gohil, and Rajya Sabha MP Madhusudan Mistry were detained.

They were and later let off.

Around 50 Congress MLAs were evicted and suspended for a day from the Assembly after they staged a demonstration and disrupted the proceedings over the Una Dalit thrashing incident of July 11.

During a discussion on the issue, Congress members rushed to the well of the House displaying placards dubbing the government as "anti-Dalit" and threw bangles towards ministers.

At least 20 of the Opposition members wore body suit banners and kept up their protest, despite repeated warnings by Speaker Ramanlal Vora on the second and last day of the Monsoon session of the Assembly.

As the din continued, the Speaker ordered marshals to evict the Congress MLAs from the House and named and suspended them for a day. Subsequently, the Congress MLAs were forcibly taken out of the House.

The Speaker said the Opposition had come to the House with a pre-planned strategy as more than their concern for Dalits they were trying to garner political mileage out of the issue.

Speaker did not suspend Opposition leader Shankersinh Vaghela and senior legislator Mohansinh Rathwa as they remained seated during the ruckus, but later they too walked out protesting the action against their party colleagues.

Later, nearly 400 Congress supporters, along with senior leaders and MLAs, were detained as they took out a march towards the Assembly as part of the party's 'Janakrosh rally'. They were stopped when they reached the main gate of the Assembly, police said.