Northeastern students demand justice over Tania's killing

Students from the northeastern states held a protest here Saturday to demand justice following the killing of an Arunachal Pradesh legislator's son.

The protest was held at the Lajpat Nagar market in south Delhi where Nido Tania, 19, was mercilessly beaten up by two shopkeepers Wednesday afternoon following a row over his appearance and clothing. He died Thursday.

Scores of protestors held placards, raised slogans against discrimination and demanded justice. Nido Tania was the son of Arunachal Pradesh Congress legislator Nido Pavitra.

"It is a shocking incident and it is not the first time. It is not just about people from northeast, people from outside always face discrimination here," said a protestor.

Another protestor said that they "want Delhi chief minister (Arvind Kejriwal) to deliver justice to us".

A group of people from the northeastern states also met Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Harsh Vardhan.

"I hope prime minister (Manmohan Singh), home minister (Sushilkumar Shinde) and chief minister (Kejriwal) will rise to the occasion," the BJP leader said.

Activists and people from the northeast termed it a "racial attack" while the region's parliamentarians said they would take up the matter with the prime minister.

Lok Sabha MP and Sikkim Democratic Front spokesperson P.D. Rai Saturday condemned the incident, saying the state's people were "horrified" on knowing about Tania's death and its causes as it played out on TV and social media.

"We wholeheartedly condemn this kind of racist slur and violence that happened in the middle of a major market in New Delhi," Rai said in a statement.

"We observe with concern that this kind of situation happens in Delhi every now and then," it said.

The statement added that the Northeast MPs Forum will be meeting Kejriwal and urging him to take action against the culprits.

"We would like that this kind of situation does not ever arise for any northeastern student or person."