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Seeks PM, CM’s intervention; slams Haryana govt for failing to ensure fair probe.
Chandigarh: Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday met the family of Haryana IPS officer Y Puran Kumar, who was found with a gunshot wound at his Sector 11 residence here on October 7, and offered his condolences.
After meeting the family, Gandhi told reporters that there was “systematic discrimination” against the 52-year-old officer to “demoralise him and damage his career.” He said Kumar’s death was “not about the respect of one family but of all Dalits,” urging Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini to act decisively to ensure justice.“This is not an isolated case. What happened to Puran Kumar reflects a deep rot within the system. The government must act, not remain silent,” Gandhi said.
The Congress leader accused the Haryana government of failing to act on its assurances and said the Chief Minister had “not fulfilled his commitment of a free and fair inquiry.”
Gandhi’s visit came amid mounting pressure on the BJP-led state government following widespread outrage over allegations of caste-based harassment mentioned in the officer’s eight-page note. The note purportedly accuses eight senior IPS officers, including DGP Shatrujeet Kapur and then Rohtak SP Narendra Bijarnia, of “blatant caste-based discrimination, targeted mental harassment, public humiliation, and atrocities.”
Opposition mounts an attack
The Opposition, led by the Congress, has intensified its attack on the Saini government, alleging attempts to protect those accused of harassment. The issue has also drawn support from Dalit organisations and civil rights groups, who have demanded an independent judicial probe.
Several political leaders, including Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Deepender Hooda, Rao Narender Singh, and Varun Chaudhary, accompanied Rahul Gandhi to the family’s residence. Over the past week, leaders across party lines have visited the bereaved family to express solidarity.
