Parliamentarians on Thursday criticised Wednesday’s statewide protests in Maharashtra, which were triggered by clashes in Bhima Koregaon near Pune on New Year’s Day. Some blamed the government for its inaction towards the Dalit agitation, while others praised the state for not allowing the situation to escalate.

During the Zero Hour in Rajya Sabha, Communist Party of India leader D Raja brought up the rising number of incidents of atrocities against Dalits in the country. “The Dalit assertion must be understood in the correct historical perspective,” he said. “In Maharashtra, Dalit assertion is being undermined as something triggered by Left-Wing Extremism and ‘Breaking India Brigade.’ This is wrong.”

Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut praised the government for efficiently handling the Dalit agitation on Wednesday. “People are blaming Hindutva for it, but there is no connection,” he asserted. “I was there, I saw it. Peshwas are not connected to the RSS.”

Several cities in Maharashtra, particularly Mumbai, came to a near shutdown on Wednesday after Dalit groups that had called for a bandh blocked roads and train tracks, bringing vehicular and railway traffic to a standstill. There were a number of incidents of violence, where a few vehicles were set on fire and buses were vandalised, as well. Dalit leader and BR Ambedkar’s grandson Prakash Ambedkar called off the bandh in the evening.

Nationalist Congress Party President Sharad Pawar said he had not seen such violence at Bhima Koregaon in decades. “Two outfits tried to ruin the Dalit memorial, and this triggered tensions,” he said. “Steps should be taken to bring peace back to the region.”

A number of MPs demanded a judicial inquiry into the violence, including CPI (Marxist) MP from Tamil Nadu TK Rangarajan. Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam MP M Kanimozhi sought the same and said: “Whatever happened cannot be looked as an isolated incident. We have to look for a long-term solution. The Dalits, minorities, and women are living in fear.”

Bhima Koregaon clashes

Lakhs of people gather at in Bhima Koregaon near Pune every New Year’s Day to commemorate the victory of the English, whose troops comprised mostly Mahar soldiers, against the Brahmin Peshwa-led Maratha Empire in 1818. Many Dalits celebrate the defeat of the Peshwas as the first step in their continuing struggle against caste-based oppression.

Clashes broke out in Bhima Koregaon and its surrounding areas during celebrations of the Battle of Bhima Koregaon on Monday, after some people, reportedly with saffron flags, pelted stones at cars going towards the village.