Dalits of Gujarat Will Certainly Vote Against BJP: Jignesh Mevani

“The government’s silence is only emboldening those attacking Dalits,” Jignesh Mevani told The Quint.

Dalit rights activist Jignesh Mevani blames the Gujarat government for not being able to ensure the safety of the scheduled castes.

(Photo: Meghnad Bose/The Quint)

An image of a twirled moustache accompanied with the text ‘Mr Dalit’ has become a sign of protest for Dalits in Gujarat, following multiple instances of violence against members of the community in the past week.

In Limbodara village near Gandhinagar, there have been two separate instances of Dalits being beaten up by Rajputs, allegedly for sporting a moustache. Elsewhere, in Anand, a Dalit man was killed allegedly for attending garba.

The Quint caught up with Dalit rights activist Jignesh Mevani for his take on the recent instances of violence against Dalits in Gujarat.

“Dalits are beaten up for riding a Bullet, they are thrashed for wearing sunglasses, and now for even sporting a moustache. Of course they are angry. And the BJP government in the state is not doing anything to combat this. The government’s silence is only emboldening those who are looking to attack Dalits. The polls are round the corner. If there’s one thing for certain, it is that the Dalits of Gujarat will vote against the ruling party,” Mevani said.