2018 attacks on Hindi-speaking migrants in Gujarat

The 14-months old girl from a Thakor community was allegedly raped by a Muslim migrant labourer from Bihar on 28 September 2018. He worked at the ceramic factory at Dhundhar village near Himatnagar, Sabarkantha district in north Gujarat where the incident took place. ==Attacks and exodus==

On 2 October, a mob, allegedly led by Kshatriya Thakor Sena members, attacked on the migrant workers in a factory near Vadnagar in Mehsana district. The police arrested twenty people for rioting. The next day, Alpesh Thakor, a leader of Koli Thakor Sena and Indian National Congress MLAannounced fast from 8 October to seek justice of the rape survivor. On 8 October, there were attacks in villages near Vadodara also. No incidents of attack were reported after 9 October. The attacks allegedly triggered exodus of the more than thousand labourers from Gujarat to their native states. The Director General of Police denied the exodus and attributed the leaving migrants to the upcoming festive season. Uttar Bharatiya Vikas Parishad, an outfit supporting north Indian migrants, claimed that around 20,000 people had left Gujarat by 8 October. ==Government action==

By 8 October, total 55 FIRs were lodged and 431 people were arrested. Ten people were arrested for spreading rumours and hatred on social media. The Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) urged the government to restore the peace as the industries were affected. ==Political reactions==

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Indian National Congress (INC), two major political parties in Gujarat assembly, appealed for peace and harmony. BJP blamed Alpesh Thakor and his outfit for the violence. Alpesh Thakor denied his involvement and appealed for peace to his community. He kept "goodwill" fast in Ahmedabad for a day on 11 October. In July 2019, after Lok Sabha Elections, Alpesh Thakor joined BJP after quitting INC. Yogi Adityanath and Nitish Kumar, the chief ministers of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar respectively, spoke with Vijay Rupani, Gujarat Chief Minister for their concerns. Tejashwi Yadav, a leader of Rashtriya Janata Dal, criticised the Central Government led by BJP leader Narendra Modi who belongs to Gujarat, alleging that BJP/RSS had "turned Gujrat into a nursery of hatred & violence against poor, dalits & minorities." ==See also==