PARBHANI: Congress Leader Rahul Gandhi visited Maharashtra’s Parbhani, where violence erupted earlier this month, and alleged that a young Dalit activist, Somnath Suryawanshi, died in police custody for defending the Constitution.
Addressing reporters, Gandhi said, “This is 100% a custodial death. He was murdered because he was Dalit and was protecting the Constitution. The Chief Minister lied in the Assembly, signaling impunity to the police.”
The Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition accused the RSS ideology of undermining the Constitution and demanded swift justice for the victim’s family. “This matter must be resolved immediately, and those responsible must be punished. The Chief Minister and the police involved are accountable,” he added.
Gandhi, along with Maharashtra Congress President Nana Patole, paid homage to the victim and met his grieving family, who are demanding the death penalty for the officer allegedly responsible for Suryawanshi’s death.
The violence in Parbhani on December 10 was triggered by the alleged vandalism of a replica of the Indian Constitution. Special Inspector General Shahaji Umap confirmed that 50 arrests had been made, with eight cases registered.
Premnath Suryawanshi, the victim’s brother, said, “The police informed us late about my brother’s death, falsely attributing it to a heart attack. We demand the accused officers be hanged for their actions.”
While officials reported injuries to police personnel during the unrest, the Congress leader called for immediate action to address what he termed as systemic discrimination against Dalits.
Dalit teen in UP dies by suicide after brutal assault, humiliation
In a shocking incident highlighting the plight of minorities in India, a 17-year-old Dalit boy from Uttar Pradesh’s Basti district took his own life after enduring violent assault and humiliation at a birthday party.
The boy was invited to the party, where four individuals stripped him, urinated on him, and filmed the act, his family told the media. The accused later threatened to make the video public. Despite the boy’s pleas to delete the footage, the perpetrators escalated the humiliation, forcing him to lick his spit, the family revealed.
The traumatized teen returned home and shared the horrific ordeal with his parents before hanging himself. His grieving family carried his body to the police station, demanding justice. However, they authorities initially refused to register a case, prompting a sit-in protest at the Superintendent of Police’s office.
Following public outcry, the police finally registered a case and launched an investigation.
The incident has sparked outrage, with activists condemning it as a grim reminder of systemic caste-based violence and the vulnerability of Dalit communities in India.
