Jharkhand lynching: Rahul says silence of powerful voices in BJP-ruled central, state govts shocking

Congress president Rahul Gandhi Tuesday termed the alleged lynching of a 24-year-old man in Jharkhand as a "blot on humanity" and said the "silence" of powerful voices in the BJP-ruled central and state governments over the incident is shocking.

Tabrez Ansari was thrashed by a mob for alleged theft on June 18 and a video had emerged which purportedly showed that he was forced to chant "Jai Shri Ram" and "Jai Hanuman" in Jharkhand's Saraikela Kharsawan district.

He was declared "brought dead" by doctors at the Tata Main Hospital in Jamshedpur, Jharkhand, Saturday.

"The brutal lynching of this young man by a mob in Jharkhand is a blot on humanity. The cruelty of the police who held this dying boy in custody for 4 days is shocking as is the silence of powerful voices in the BJP-ruled central and state governments," Gandhi tweeted, along with a still from the video of the incident.

The Congress president used the hashtag 'India Against Lynch Terror' with his tweet.

Eleven people have been arrested in connection with Ansari's death and a special investigation team (SIT) has been set up to look into the matter.