A Dalit boy was allegedly assaulted by at least two of his schoolmates for the raising ‘Jai Bhim-Jai Bharat’ slogan during a Republic Day function at their school in Narauli town of Uttar Pradesh’s Sambhal district.

Uttar Pradesh News: A Dalit student was attacked by his fellow students for raising a ‘Jai Bhim’ slogan at a Republic Day event at a school in Narauli town, while in a related incident three men were arrested after a video showed them desecrating the flag of Bhimrao Ambedkar in Ballia district of Uttar Pradesh.

In the first incident, a Dalit boy was allegedly assaulted by at least two of his schoolmates for the raising ‘Jai Bhim-Jai Bharat’ slogan during a Republic Day function at their school in Narauli town of Uttar Pradesh’s Sambhal district.

According to the police, the victim, a class 12 student, gave a speech on Dalit icon Baba Saheb Bhim Rao Ambedkar at his Sardar Singh Inter College in Narauli town on the occasion of the Republic Day on Friday.

Upon concluding his speech, he raised the ‘Jai Bhim-Jai Bharat’ slogan which apparently irked two of his fellow students, said an official.

The two accused students, who are from the same school, later confronted the Dalit student outside the school gate and allegedly assaulted him, he said, adding that an FIR has been registered against the boy’s accused schoolmates based on a complaint filed by him.

A senior officer said there was a scuffle between three students during a Republic Day function held at their school in the Baniya Ther police station area.

“The victim is a Dalit boy who has alleged he was attacked by fellow students for chanting slogans at the functions,” Circle Officer Pradeep Kumar told news agency PTI.

An FIR has been registered at Baniya Ther police station under sections 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) along with sections of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, the circle officer said.

The case is being investigated, he added.

3 held in Ballia for ‘desecrating’ Ambedkar’s image

In a related incident, three people were arrested by the police on Saturday after a viral video allegedly showed them desecrating a flag bearing a picture of Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar.

Officials said a purported video went viral on social media on Saturday in which some people of Pakwainar village in Rasra were seen uprooting a flag carrying the picture of Ambedkar.

They even pressed the flag with their feet after uprooting it, the police said.

The incident took place in the Rasra police station area of the district, they said.

Deputy Superintendent of Police Mohammad Faheem Qureshi said an FIR has been registered regarding the matter and three accused have been arrested.

The police have not revealed the names of the accused.

(With PTI inputs)