Nagpur, May 22 (PTI) Condemning the killing of a Dalit ragpicker in Gujarat on May 20, who was allegedly beaten to death on suspicion of theft, the Congress today alleged the incident was the fallout of the ruling BJP's "anti-dalit" policies.

Mukesh Vaniya (35) was allegedly beaten to death, and his wife assaulted, on May 20 by five people in the factory compound near Rajkot district's Shapar town on suspicion that they were stealing scrap.

Condemning the incident, AICC Scheduled Caste cell chief Nitin Raut said atrocities against dalits have risen by 66 per cent since the BJP came to power at Centre.

"Every 12 minute a dalit is facing atrocity in the country," he said.

Gujarat police arrested five people after a video of the incident -- purportedly showing two people taking turns to beat Vaniya with a stick while another person holding him by a rope tied to his waist -- had gone viral on social media. PTI

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)