No mention of Bhim Army in government report

Forces deployed in Saharanpur city, Thursday. Gajendra Yadav

THE UTTAR Pradesh government’s report on the recent violence in Saharanpur does not mention the Bhim Army, a group that has been spearheading the Dalit agitation in the area, and which has been accused of instigating violence.
The report, which was received by the Home Ministry on Thursday, says that on May 5, BJP MP Raghav Lakhanpal tried to take out a procession of Rajputs through a Dalit area to garland a bust of Rajput king Maharana Pratap, stoking the violence. The report also sequences the events of May 9 and 23 that triggered clashes, with Rajputs allegedly stopping Dalits from installing a statue of B R Ambedkar inside the Ravidas temple at Shabbirpur village.

MHA officials said that 400 Rapid Action Force personnel (RAF) had been sent to Saharanpur to help the state government restore peace in the area. The UP government had requested the forces. One person died in the clash in Saharanpur on May 5 while another died on May 23, said MHA spokesperson Ashok Prasad, quoting the state government report.