Migrants targeted: After talks with Adityanath and Nitish, Gujarat CM Rupani appeals for calm

Vijay Rupani has said the accused in the Sabarkantha rape case - believed to be a migrant worker from Bihar - was arrested within 24 hours of the heinous crime.

Urging people in the state of Gujarat to maintain calm in the aftermath of alleged attacks on migrant workers from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, chief minister Vijay Rupani said on Monday that the guilty won't be spared.

Migrant workers in Gujarat were allegedly targeted after a man from Bihar was accused of raping a 14-month girl in Gujarat's Sabarkantha district last week. This prompted an exodus of these migrant workers from the state and Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar and UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath calling Rupani. "The situation is under control in Gujarat. I appeal to people to maintain peace and brotherhood," Rupani told news agency ANI on Monday evening. "The culprit of the rape case was arrested within 24 hours. We will ensure severe punishment for the culprit."

Action against those responsible for attacks on migrant workers has also been assured. 'In the last 4-5 days, there have been attacks on people from UP and Bihar in Gujarat. We have taken action against people involved in these attacks,'' Gujarat Home Minister Pradeepsinh Jadeja said. ''Police are interrogating the people who have been arrested for these attacks. Police are taking action wherever needed. We have registered three cases under the IT Act for spreading hatred on social media."

Jadeja also said that 35 FIRs have been lodged and that incidents of attacks have come down in the last 24 hours.