Congress slams Haryana CM for dubbing Dalit boy's death as suicide

The Congress on Friday slammed Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar for dubbing the death of a 15-year-old Dalit boy in Sonipat district of the state as a 'suicide'.

Khattar on Monday allegedly claimed the boy committed suicide and announced a government job to a family member of the deceased.

"When Khattar will pre-judge a case before investigation, then who will punish the guilty in this country? It is shameful, condemnable and reprehensible. We reject such unwarranted intervention by the chief minister in an ongoing investigation into atrocities against the Dalit boy in Gohana," Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said on Friday.

The boy's family blamed police for his death. Two police officers have been booked for murder with regard to the death of the boy who was accused of theft of a pigeon.

"The anti-Dalit mindset of the Bharatiya Janata Party comes to the fore everyday. We understand that the BJP and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh are anti-Dalit and anti-backward class. The manner in which the rights of Dalit are being systematically attacked, subjugated and terminated is completely condemnable," Surjewala added.

"Be it the horrific incident of burning alive of two children in Sunped village of Faridabad district, be it the attack on another Dalit boy in Julana in Haryana, be it throwing out Dalit families from Bhagana village in Hisar district a month ago, or be it the merciless murder of a Dalit boy by two policemen on charge of stealing pigeon... all of this is reflective of a pervert anti-Dalit and anti-poor thought process. That is taught in the factory of RSS and BJP," the Congress leader said.