Dalit groups plan 'beef eating fest' in Mysuru against attacks by cow vigilantes on community members

Bengaluru: In a twist to the ongoing controversy over the attacks on Dalit people over beef issue, several Dalit groups have come out against such incidents and are planning to launch a protest over the issue.

Dalit groups in Karnataka are planning to organise a beef festival in the Mysuru city of the state, a media report said. 

The report comes in the wake of recent attacks on members of Dalit community on suspicion of carrying beef. 

In Gujarat's Una, four Dalit members were publically flogged by cow vigilantes on charges of skinning a dead cow. The incident was captured on a camera and was shared on social media which sparked nation-wide outrage. 

The accused, who identified themselves as 'gau rakshaks' (cow vigilantes) assaulted the Dalits with iron pipes, sticks and knife, claiming they were slaughtering cows.

In an another incident, two Muslim women were apparently thrashed by a group of men at a railway station in Madhya Pradesh on suspicion of carrying cow meat. This incident was also caught on camera and was shared online. 

In the video, the women are seen getting slapped, kicked and abused by a mob led by cow vigilantes for nearly 30 minutes before one of them collapses. 

Cow vigilantism has snatched up headlines and political attention in the past few weeks after national outrage over attacks on Dalit community members.