Days after a ragpicker belonging to Dalit community was mercilessly beaten to death in Gujarat’s Rajkot city, another case of violence between Dalit and Rajput groups has created tension in Dholka town of Ahmedabad district of the state.

Tensions prevailed in the area after a group of Rajputs clashed with Dalits in Dholka town on Tuesday, the police said. Two FIRs had been lodged, with both sides blaming the other for the violence, the police added.

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The incident

Clashes were reported after a Dalit man, Maulik Jadav, claimed that a group of men allegedly thrashed him for adding ‘Sinh’ to his name.

Maulik Jadav in a police complaint said that a group of Rajput men attacked him and ransacked his house after he announced on Facebook at he would be adding ‘Sinh’ to his name and would now be known as Mauliksinh Jadav.

In his complaint, Jadav has identified one of the attackers as Sahdevsinh Vaghela, said police inspector LB Tavdi. Sahdevsinh Vaghela and others have been booked under various sections of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

As per media reports, Jadav took this decision to protest an attack on a Dalit man in Banaskantha district after he too had added the suffix ‘Sinh’ to his name.

“This angered the Rajput members, who had been threatening me for some time on the issue,” Jadav added.

The police said a counter complaint was lodged by a member of the Rajput community.

Dhirajba Mahipatsinh Vaghela alleged a mob of Dalits ransacked his house and looted valuables last night, Tavdi said. No arrests have been made in the two cases yet.

‘Sinh’ is a suffix usually used by men of the Rajput community.