Two children of a lower caste Dalit family – Vaibhav, 2, and his 9-month-old sister Divya – died while their parents – Rekha and Jitender – suffered burn injuries after their home was set on fire at 2 a.m. on October 20 by a upper-caste Rajput family in Sunpedh, a village in Haryana state, 40 KM from New Delhi. Police said the attack was an act of vengeance that stemmed from a year-long feud between the two communities over an INR 2,000 mobile phone.
“The attackers were Rajputs and they had a confrontation with Dalits over a murder in October last year. They barged into our home when we were sleeping and they poured petrol from the window after locking our door from the outside. I could smell petrol and tried to wake up my wife, but by then the fire had started. My children died in the fire. They had threatened me that they will finish my family, that I should never return to the village,” Jitender told The Press Trust of India.
Police have arrested three suspects so far and have launched a manhunt for nine others mentioned in Jitender’s complaint. Five policemen have been suspended for dereliction of duty. While handing over a cheque of INR 1million to the Dalit family, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said that the killing of the two children should not be politicized. Calling the incident unfortunate, Khattar also agreed to the family’s demand for an investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation.
In an appalling reaction, Union Minister VK Singh, whose Bharatiya Janata Party is in power in Haryana and at the Centre, compared the ghastly incident to stoning a dog, and said, “Here it was a failure of the (local) administration. After that it comes on the (Central) government. So in everything, (to say that) someone threw a stone at a dog, the government is responsible – it is not like that. Don’t connect the government with it. It was a feud between two families. The matter is being inquired into.”
Singh’s comments drew swift criticism from opposition parties and common citizens alike:
Dalit killings equated to dogs being stoned. Muslim killings equated to puppies being run over by a car. The empathetic side of BJP. Not.
— Priyanka Chaturvedi (@priyankac19) October 22, 2015
Rahul Gandhi: This is an attitude shared by the PM, CM and the RSS. That if someone is weak they can be crushed. pic.twitter.com/heowh8TUhn — Firstpost (@firstpost) October 21, 2015
I’m #speechless. Not Government’s Fault If One Stones a Dog: VK Singh on Dalit Killings https://t.co/HcKCp4g92R
— Omar Abdullah (@abdullah_omar) October 22, 2015
Modi Ji talked of a puppy, VK Singh says a dog! Is this government so apathetic, insensitive, callous?? https://t.co/eSDOZKrmn9 — Sanjay Jha (@JhaSanjay) October 22, 2015
VK Singh’s statement is shameful and prosecutable under SC/ST Act. A case should be registered against him immediately(1/4)
— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) October 22, 2015
V K Singh adds insult to injury. Must apologise forthwith or be sacked. https://t.co/PySGCYCJgY — Yogendra Yadav (@_YogendraYadav) October 22, 2015
All is NOT well in India Communal Violence Inflation Farmers Suicide Increasing Crimes Insensitive & provoking remarks #sackvksingh
— Manoj Mehra (@ManojMehra2610) October 22, 2015
Modiji is upset,not because of @Gen_VKSingh insensitive analogy but d way he’s trying to b PM by using his formula of success #sackvksingh — Divide&Rule (@lnsaneworld) October 22, 2015
BJP’s arrogance is reflected in the terribly insensitive comments of ministers like @Gen_VKSingh. PM is a mute spectator. #SackVKSingh
— Salman Anees Soz (@SalmanSoz) October 22, 2015
Even the Dogs are treated as well as Soldiers in the Army.This General is such a let down for the Army #ShameOnVKSingh #sackvksingh — Surbhi Sondhi (@RisingSurbhi) October 22, 2015
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