Gujarat: Seven Bihari men attacked for wearing 'lungis'
What's the story
After the rape of a 14-month-old toddler, allegedly by a Bihari worker, sparked violence against migrants from UP and Bihar in Gujarat, seven Bihari men were attacked in Vadodara allegedly for wearing 'lungis'.
The attack left the men with minor injuries, and police have nabbed one of the three accused.
Police also claim that the attack was not a hate crime.
Here's more.
Altercation
Sama residents questioned the Bihari migrant workers' attires
The men who were attacked included civil engineer Shatrughan Yadav and six plumbers from Bihar's Madhubani district.
The seven were working at the construction site of a primary school in Vadodara when they were approached by one Keyur Parmar and two other residents of the Sama locality.
The trio questioned the workers' attires, all of whom were wearing lungis.
An altercation followed.
Details
The migrants were threatened to leave the city
The scuffle between Parmar and co and the workers led to the seven Bihari men sustaining minor injuries.
Meanwhile, Yadav called the police for help.
As a PCR van arrived, the three assailants fled, threatening the migrants to leave the city.
Subsequently, the seven victims went to the police station to lodge a complaint.
When they returned, more drama awaited them.
Return
Assailants set Yadav's bike ablaze, threatened 40 others
Upon their return to the construction site, Yadav found that his bike, given to him by Surat-based contractor Mayur Patel, along with two plastic chairs had been set ablaze.
Sensing the tension, Patel rushed to the construction site, where he came to learn that 30-40 migrant workers who were sleeping on the first floor of the under-construction building had also been threatened with violence.
Quote
Residents had threatened to set the migrants on fire
"The workers were asked to keep their mouth shut and leave from the site, or else they would also be set on fire like the bike," said Patel.
Police response
What the police had to say about the attack
Subsequently, police arrested Keyur Parmar.
Speaking to ToI, Sama police inspector PD Parmar said that the attack was not a hate crime.
Meanwhile, police commissioner Anupam Singh Gahlaut said that the violence had unfolded as the migrants had not heeded the warnings of locals to not dress 'indecently' by wearing lungis.
Earlier, hundreds of migrants had fled Gujarat fearing hate crimes against them.