Una incident: Dalit victim back in hospital ahead of Rahul Gandhi’s visit under 'political pressure'

Ahmedabad: Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi on Thursday travelled to Rajkot in Gujarat to meet the victims of the assault on Dalits by members of a 'gau raksha samiti'.

However, hours before the Congress leader arrived in Rajkot, one of the victims of the public flogging was admitted to the Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay (PDU) General Hospital there.

Interestingly, on July 18 the victim had been discharged from the Junagadh civil hospital.

Reports said all this was done “political pressure”.

23-year-old Ramesh Sarvaiya was one of the seven Dalit men (all from the same family) who were publicly flogged by a group of gau rakshaks for skinning a dead cow in Mota Samadhiyala village of Una taluka in Gir Somnath district on July 11.

 

The incident was recorded and shared on social media. It later went viral.

As per The Indian Express, Ramesh was given first aid at a community health centre in Una town, before being referred to the Junagadh civil hospital for treatment of suspected fractures.

However, he along with his father Balu Sarvaiya, who had sustained head injury, was discharged from the hospital on July 18.

A doctor at the hospital said they had recovered from their injuries and were hence discharged.

 

However, curiously Ramesh was seen in the surgical ward of PDU on Wednesday when Chief Minister Anandiben Patel visited the hospital.

But, as per hospital documents, Ramesh was admitted there at 7.38 am on Thursday, hours before Rahul Gandhi visited the facility.

Dr Dharmendra Vatsraj, medical superintendent of PDU General hospital, told the newspaper, “He had abrasions and bruises and came to us for treatment. As a matter of policy, we cannot deny treatment to any patient. Therefore, he was admitted this morning.”

Ramesh, meanwhile, said his thighs had swollen again and the pain recurred which is why he got re-admitted to the hospital.

He rejected claims that he got admitted to the hospital again after being asked to do so by any politician or community leader.