MYSORE: Former Minister and Congress leader M. Shivanna has claimed that there were attempts to "hush up" the alleged rape of Dalit women in Mudaganur village of Hunsur taluk in Mysore district, which recently witnessed caste clashes.

Addressing a press conference here on Tuesday, Mr. Shivanna said that some Dalit women had confessed to lady doctors that their modesty had been outraged during the recent clashes in the village.

The police had registered complaints against loss of property, but no cases have been registered against the alleged rape. "There is an attempt to hush up the rape cases," he claimed.

In all, nine persons, who suffered injuries during the clashes, are undergoing treatment in the hospital. The situation in the village, which has about 35 Dalit families and 85 to 90 families of caste Hindus, remains tense though Deputy Commissioner Selva Kumar and Superintendent of Police Murugan visited the village.

Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy was in Mysore when the clashes took place, Mr. Shivanna said. "But, he did not visit the place and console the affected families," he said. Apart from the Chief Minister, 15 Ministers visited Mysore after the incident, but not a single Minister visited the affected village, Mr. Shivanna said.

"There is no security for Dalits under the present Government. Instead of staying overnight in the house of Dalit, the Chief Minister should have visited the village and consoled the affected families," Mr. Shivanna said.

Had the Congress been in power, the administration would have responded to the plight of the victims, he said and demanded that a compensation of Rs. 1 lakh be given to each of the injured persons, besides Rs. 50,000 for loss of property.

He said the Congress would extend support to the Dalit organisations, which were planning to stage a protest against the Government's negligence, in this regard.

He appealed to the State Government to organise a peace meeting in the village and Hunsur taluk.

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