Top 5 news of the hour: PM Modi defends Dalits, good news for India@Olympics and more

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today appealed to people to protect and respect Dalits who have for long been neglected by the society. At Rio Olympics, Indian women’s archery team has qualified for quarterfinals, while India’s women hockey match with Japan ended in draw. In UP election arena, Bahujan Samaj Party’s veteran leader Swami Prasad Maurya has reportedly decided to join Bharatiya Janta Party. Here are the five main headlines of the hour. 

1. ‘Shoot me, attack me, but stop attacking Dalits’: PM Modi

 “If you want to shoot, shoot me,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, as he called for stopping the attacks on Dalits and the politics over it. Making an emotional appeal, he asked people to protect and respect Dalits who have for long been neglected by the society. “I would like to tell these people that if you have any problem, if you have attack, attack me. Stop attacking my Dalit brethren. If you have to shoot, shoot me, but not my Dalit brothers. This game should stop,” he said addressing BJP workers here.

2. PM Modi advocates severe punishment for fake cow protectors

Keeping up his attack on cow vigilantes, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today asked people to beware of “fake” cow protectors as they were trying to create tension in the society. He also asked the state governments to take stringent action against them. Modi, while addressing a public meeting after inaugurating a host of development projects here, accused the cow vigilantes of trying to create tension in the society and said they should be exposed and punished.

3. Rio Olympics 2016: Women's archery team reaches quarterfinal, beating Colombia 5-3

Indian women's archery team today made it to the quarterfinals of the recurve event after beating Colombia 5-3 at the Olympic Games, here today. Indian women will face Russian Federation in the quarterfinal. The trio of Deepika, Laxmirani Majhi and Bombayla were not at their best but managed to prevail over an even more erratic Colombian team.

4. UP Elections 2016: Swami Prasad Maurya to join BJP tomorrow

Bahujan Samaj Party’s veteran leader Swami Prasad Maurya has reportedly decided to join Bharatiya Janta Party. According to sources, the Leader of Opposition for BSP will be formally accept the party’s membership at 12 noon tomorrow at BJP’s central headquarters in New Delhi. During the membership process, BJP’s Uttar Pradesh Chief Keshav Prasad Maurya is also expected to be present.  The ceremony will be performed by Amit Shah, NJP’s national president. 

5. Allahabad: Schools ban national anthem, says lyrics violate tenets of Islam

A school here has refused to allow recital of the national anthem by students and staff members on Independence Day, claiming that its words violated the tenets of Islam, following which eight teachers, including the principal, have quit in protest against the diktat. Authorities said that a probe has been launched against M A Convent School based in Baghara locality of the city in the matter and maintained that it was not recognised by the education department.