MP: 14 injured in a clash between people of two castes on Maha Shivratri

People of the Dalit community have alleged that some people of the “upper caste” tried to prevent them from offering prayers at a Shiva Temple built by people of three other communities in Chhapra village of Sanawad, reported NDTV.

As the altercation escalated into a physical clash, people from both sides threw stones at each other.

Police said both sides filed complaints against each other.

A Premlal of the Dalit community alleged that a group led by one Bhaiya Lal Patel, from the Gurjar community, stopped Dalit girls from entering the temple, according to the report.

On the complaint of one Ravindra Rao Maratha, a counter-case has also been registered against Premlal and 33 others for attacking them with weapons.

The police have filed a case against 17 suspects and 25 unidentified others for rioting and other charges, including those under the law to protect Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, said the report.

A team of police and revenue officials rushed to the village and explained to the conflicting parties that no caste can be stopped from entering the temple, senior police officer Vinod Dixit was quoted as saying by NDTV.

He also said that the village had been tense for the last few days over the cutting of a Banyan tree, considered sacred by some.

There was a proposal to set up a statue of constitution architect and Dalit icon BR Ambedkar in place of the tree.

"There was also an issue of axing a tree. It was explained that trees cannot be cut without permission," the police officer was quoted as saying in the report.

In a separate incident, in the neighbouring Kasrawad area on the same day, a Dalit woman was allegedly stopped from worshipping at a Shiva Temple. Allegedly some upper-caste women abused a woman over her caste when she offered water on the Shivalinga.

Five people have been named in a police case, including charges under the caste discrimination law, the police said, according to the report.

"The temple was overcrowded due to Maha Shivratri in Chhoti Kasrawad because of which there was a dispute among women. One side has complained about 5 people whose statements are being recorded," senior police officer Manohar Singh Gawli was quoted as saying in the report.