An elderly Dalit man was allegedly forced to lick the ground near a temple on the outskirts of Lucknow on Diwali after he was accused of urinating there, police said.

While the accused has been arrested, the 60-year-old Dalit man's grandson claimed his grandfather has breathing difficulties, and he had accidentally urinated while coughing.

According to police, the alleged incident occurred around 7 pm on Monday, and the accused has claimed that the Dalit man was only forced to touch the ground.

The incident triggered a political slugfest, with opposition parties training their guns at the BJP.

In the complaint, Rampal Rawat said, "Yesterday evening, I was drinking water at Sheetla Maataa Mandir in the Kakori area of Lucknow, when Swami Kant accused me of urinating.

"I said that I have

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