Denying justice to family of Dalit youth murdered in Hisar shows ugly face of BJP-RSS's 'Manuwadi': Rahul

New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday raised the issue of the alleged murder of a Dalit youth in Haryana's Hisar and alleged that the harassment meted out to his family for seeking justice is not just a crime but exposes the "ugly face of BJP-RSS's 'Manuwadi' system" that discriminates against Dalits. He also demanded justice for the youth's family by taking strict action against those behind the murder, as he claimed that he and his party stand firmly with the family of the 16-year-old youth who reportedly died in Hisar. "When power sits in the lap of 'Manuwadi' ideology, the lives of Dalits are of no value. The murder of Dalit youth Ganesh Valmiki in Haryana’s Hisar and the brutality inflicted on his family is not just a crime, it is the ugly face of the BJP-RSS's 'Manuwadi' system that today considers the lives of Bahujans in India as worthless, deeming them unworthy of equality and respect," he said in a post in Hindi on X.

The Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha claimed that Ganesh's family alleges that he was killed by police, and even after nine days, no action has been taken. When the family sought justice, they were the ones harassed instead, he also alleged. "This is not an isolated incident - in the last 11 years, atrocities against Dalits, Adivasis, and minorities have skyrocketed unchecked. Why? Because the BJP in power has given free rein to violence cloaked in discrimination," the former Congress chief alleged. Gandhi further said the Narendra Modi government has not only remained silent on these atrocities but has also weakened constitutional institutions, turning the police and administration into "weapons" for such crimes and "shields" for the perpetrators of such crimes. "In Modi's era, being a Dalit, being poor, being marginalized - has become akin to a crime," he claimed. "Ganesh Valmiki's death is not just the death of an individual - it is the murder of the Constitution, the murder of Baba Saheb's dreams," Gandhi also said. "I stand firmly with the victim's family. This is not just one family's fight for justice; it is a battle for social justice and the soul of India. Immediate and strict action against the guilty will be the minimum justice required," the Congress leader said.