Outraged over the rising atrocities on Dalit in Rajasthan, including the alleged beating of an eight-year-old boy by a teacher in Jalore district resulting in his death, Congress MLA of Baran-Atru constituency Panachand Meghwal and eight councillors of the local muncipal council have tendered their resignation.

Meghwal, who is among senior-level functionaries in the Pradesh Congress Committee, sent his resignation to Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and the Assembly Speaker Dr CP Joshi by email. While the councillors including, Urvashi Meghwal, Ramraj Bagra, Yashwant Yadav, sent their papers to the chairperson of the Nagar Palika yesterday.

“As an MLA of the Congress government I tendered my resignation owing to my inner soul voice as Dalit (SC community) men are still deprived of their rights as they cannot enter temple, cannot ride a horse during marriage/baraat, now the 8-year-old boy Indra was allegedly killed by a teacher as he touched his (teacher’s) earthen pot for drinking water, and one, Jitendra, was not allowed to raise his moustache,” Meghwal said reading out from resignation letter to SNS when contacted.

“When we cannot protect the rights of our society (Meghwal) while in power, and get the victims a proper justice, I have no moral right to stay in the government as an MLA”, he said.

 Last night, the Chief Minister’s Office made a call to the annoyed MLA assuring him of justice to the Jalore victim’s parents, and to look into files related to crime against SC/ST reported in the state in recent time. “CM sahib ne kaha ki vo hum sab (Meghwal) ki bhavna ki kadr kartein hain, aur uchit nyay hoga (The CM said he values our sentiments on the serious matter, and that justice will be delivered in the case)”, he said quoting the CM.

Meanwhile the young Congress leader and former Deputy CM Sachin Pilot, PCC President Govind Singh Dotasara and other Congress MLAs, and BJP leaders, including Jogeshwar Garg, visited the victim’s house and offered condolences to the bereaved family.

A child right body, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has directed the Rajasthan government to ensure strict action against those responsible for allegedly beating the Dalit boy to death for touching a drinking water pot.

It is pertinent to mention here that the school boy Indra Kumar Meghwal who was beaten up by the class teacher-cum-headmaster last month on July 20 at Sayala village of Jalore district succumbed to his ear and eye injuries at a hospital in Ahmedabad on Saturday. The boy was so badly injured that he could not speak and was in a vegetative during his treatment at a village hospital and the district hospital before finally being shifted to a Ahmedabad hospital.

The accused teacher, Chail Singh, 40, has been arrested under Section 302 of IPC for murder and various sections of Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe Acts (SC/ST) after the deceased boy’s uncle filed an FIR against the teacher with the Sayala Police Station.

 The Internet was shut as the situation turned tense in the Surana village when the villagers protested as the victim’s body arrived from Ahmedabad. Police resorted to lathi charge to disperse the mob and allowed the cremation of the boy later to the night on Sunday.