Police stop RPI leader Sulekha Kumbhare from barging into Vidhan Bhavan in Nagpur on Monday. (AP)

Nagpur, Dec. 4: Senior Dalit leaders and Left top guns such as the CPI’s D. Raja and the CPM’s Brinda Karat were arrested this morning ahead of a rally aimed at embarrassing the Maharashtra government in the Assembly, whose winter session began today, over the Khairlanji killings.

The state has been on edge since a Dalit family of four was murdered at Khairlanji, in Bhandara district, on September 29. Last week’s desecration of an Ambedkar statue in Kanpur added to the tension.

Dalit protesters who tried to gatecrash into Vidhan Bhavan were arrested. “The arrests began on Sunday night. Today, they closed all entry points and arrested our leaders when they arrived at the airport or tried to enter the city by road,” said Prakash Gajbhiye, a local leader of the Republican Party of India (RPI). His party was among the Dalit outfits that had planned the rally after state home minister R.R. Patil tried to deflect attention from the Khairlanji killings by blaming Maoists.

RPI leaders Ramdas Athawale, Jogendra Kawade, Sulekha Kumbhare and Rajendra Gavai and Prakash Ambedkar were also held. “Permission for the rally had been denied. The leaders had also been barred from entering the city. When they defied the order, they were arrested,” said S.P.S Yadav, the Nagpur police commissioner.

Karat was held on Sunday night, while Raja courted arrest today. “We are here to express our anger against atrocities on Dalits in the state. We were hoping to address the rally, but were prevented from carrying out a democratic right,” Raja said over phone. The rally did not take place.

In the Assembly, the Opposition held up proceedings until chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh agreed to a discussion on the killings.

Last week, a report prepared for the Yashwantrao Chavan Institute of Development Administration described the killings as an “organised conspiracy”.

It confirmed that the two women among the four victims were raped before being murdered. It also criticised special IG Pankaj Gupta, who apparently took 14 days to visit Khairlanji, though the village is only an hour away from his Nagpur base.

The report alleges that Gupta was bribed by “interested parties” to declare that no rape had taken place. It has called for an inquiry against him. Gupta was not available for comment, while commissioner Yadav refused to speak on the issue.

The report also accuses other officials, including the Bhandara collector, superintendent of police, civil surgeon, sub-divisional magistrate, deputy superintendent of police and police prosecutor of dereliction of duty.

Police on edge

Mumbai police faces a test on December 6, when Babasaheb Ambedkar’s 50th death anniversary coincides with the 14th anniversary of the Babri Masjid demolition. Over 10 lakh Dalits could visit Chaitya Bhoomi at Dadar.