Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat had visited Tarun Vijay at the hospital and promised action..
A meeting by prominent members of civil society in Dehradun following the mob attack on BJP lawmaker Tarun Vijay, ended in a stalemate on Tuesday, with opposing factions unable to agree on whether caste discrimination was practiced at the temple of Pokhri village.
The lawmaker had been attacked allegedly by a mob after paying a visit to a temple in Pokhri. He had been accompanied by a group of Dalits, and had alleged that the members of the lower castes were not allowed in the temple premises. Mr Vijay, 55, is at a hospital in Dehradun, recovering from his injuries.
The villagers and priests of Pokhri have denied the charges, saying Dalits were never stopped from entering the temple. In the remote village of 250 residents, only 3 families are Dalits.
On Tuesday, the drama moved to the state capital, with district magistrate Ravinath Raman and senior police officer Sadananda Datte organising an informal gathering of social workers, intellectuals, public representatives, priests and village elders.
"This was a platform for all to come and exchange thoughts, so the truth would surface and attempts could be made to bridge this distance between communities if any," Mr Datte said.
Saraswati Kuwar, the wife of Daulat Kuwar -- the Dalit representative who was injured along with Tarun Vijay -- broke down during the meeting, claiming she had saved her life by running to the nearby forests after being chased by the stone hurling mob. She accused the people of being unjust and unfair to Dalits.
Her comments set allegations and counter allegations flying.
Some Dalit representatives said the issue was being "politicised for personal gains" and they, for generations, had never been victimised for being Dalits, said Satish Singh.
Time and again officials had to intervene to calm tempers.
Investigations, meanwhile are on into the case. Chief Minister Harish Rawat, who visited Mr Vijay in the hospital, has said strict action will be taken against those responsible.