Congress will raise Gujarat incidents in Parliament: Sonia

New Delhi, July 20  Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday condemned the "atrocities" against Dalits and minorities in the country and said her party will raise in Parliament the issue of a Dalit committing suicide in Gujarat's Una town.

Addressing the Congress Parliamentary Party meeting here, Sonia Gandhi said: "The Modi government has snatched away the rights of Adivasis, Dalits and traditional forest dwellers under the Forest Rights Act and is systematically weakening and subverting environment rights."

"Brutal atrocities against SC, ST and minorities are continuing with impunity and shaming us all. The recent shocking incident in Gujarat where four Dalit youths were savagely beaten and humiliated publicly is just one example of the social terror this government condones," she added.

Gandhi told the Congress parliamentarians: "We may be lacking in numbers, but we will make up for it with our work and we will continue to demand accountability through Parliament. I count upon each one of you to be present, to be active, to be aggressive and hold the government and the ministers to their words and actions." 

A policeman was killed in mob violence and a Dalit committed suicide on Tuesday as protests against last week's thrashing of four youth in Una town snowballed into unrest across Saurashtra region of Gujarat on Tuesday.

The Dalit who died was among the five persons from the community who tried to take their own lives in separate incidents in Gujarat in protest against harassment.