At least 50 people were injured when a group of ‘upper caste’ people attacked Dalits when the latter tried to enter into a temple in Silgadhi, the district headquarter of Doti, Sunday afternoon.

The upper caste people, who have been barring the local Dalits from going inside the temples for puja, attacked with batons and pelted stones as soon as a group of Dalits tried to enter into a local temple.

Human rights activists and journalists who had gone to the site following reports of violence were also injured in the scuffle.

15 of the injured persons are in serious condition. Silgadhi Bazaar remained tense for some time as the upper caste people gheraoed the District Administration Office “for not stopping the Dalits from going inside the temple”.

Few policemen were also hurt when the mob attacked them. They also attacked the offices of Dalit rights groups in the district headquarters, according to reports.