Two Dalit brothers were killed in the Surendranagar district on Wednesday when a group of upper caste men attacked them with sharp weapons owing to an old land dispute.
Ironically, the killing of the two brothers came hours after Union Minister of State for Social Justice & Empowerment Ramdas Athawale claimed that condition of Dalits in the state had improved under the BJP regime.
Addressing a press conference here on Wednesday afternoon, Athawale had admitted that atrocities on Dalits do happen but many upper caste people now-a-days come forward in support of the community.
The two brothers, Manubhai Parmar and Aaljibhai Parmar, were attacked with sharp edged weapons by members of Durbar community in Samadhiyala village of Chuda taluka on Wednesday night.
The two siblings were rushed to C U Shah Hospital in Surendranagar but both of them succumbed to their injuries during treatment.
According to the district police, the attack had its origin in a land dispute between the deceased and the upper caste Durbars of the village. The Dalits were killed despite the dispute being sub judice.
The killings have sparked outrage among the Dalits. They expressed concerns regarding safety and welfare of the community in Gujarat. Dalit rights activist Kirit Rathore asked why the prime minister and Gujarat chief minister remain silent on the rising violence on Dalits.