Rahul Gandhi Demands PM, Haryana CM Intervene in Dalit IPS Officer’s Death

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi asserted on Tuesday that the death of Haryana police officer Y Puran Kumar transcends a single family's grief, representing the broader plight of Dalits nationwide. Speaking to reporters after consoling Kumar's family in Chandigarh, Gandhi demanded swift action from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini. He highlighted alleged systemic discrimination that plagued Kumar's career, warning that inaction would perpetuate a culture of oppression in India's institutions. The visit comes amid intensifying opposition criticism of the BJP-led Haryana government, which has been accused of shielding upper-caste officers involved in the scandal.

Kumar, a 52-year-old senior IPS officer from the Dalit community, was found dead in his Chandigarh home last week with a gunshot wound, initially classified as suicide. An eight-page note purportedly written by him has surfaced, accusing eight senior IPS officers—including Haryana DGP Shatrujeet Kapur and transferred Rohtak SP Narendra Bijarniya—of caste-based harassment, mental torture, public humiliation, and professional sabotage. Gandhi described these acts as deliberate efforts to demoralize successful Dalits, stating, "A wrong message is being sent out: No matter your achievements, if you're Dalit, you can be crushed." He emphasized the note's revelations of denied promotions and hostile postings, painting a picture of entrenched bias within the police force.

The Congress leader lambasted Chief Minister Saini for failing to honor commitments to a transparent inquiry, alleging instead mounting pressure on Kumar's wife and two daughters to remain silent. "There's immense coercion on the family, especially the young girls," Gandhi claimed, linking it to wider patterns of caste discrimination in BJP-ruled states. This case has sparked protests in Dalit strongholds like Rohtak and Hisar, with activists demanding a CBI probe and the immediate suspension of the accused officers. Opposition allies, including AAP, have rallied behind calls for over Rs 1 crore in compensation and justice, turning the incident into a rallying cry against institutional prejudice.

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Forensic discrepancies have further fueled suspicions, with experts questioning the suicide ruling due to inconsistencies in gunshot residue and handwriting analysis in the note. Anonymous colleagues portrayed Kumar as an upright officer who mentored marginalized recruits and combated corruption, traits that reportedly irked his superiors. Gandhi's intervention underscores the potential for this tragedy to ignite a national Dalit uprising, especially with upcoming elections in nearby states. He accused the Modi government of ignoring caste atrocities, referencing similar harassments in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.

As the Haryana administration forms a special investigation team—dismissed by critics as a whitewash—the scandal threatens to redefine caste politics in 2025. PM Modi's silence has amplified calls for federal intervention, with Gandhi posing a stark question: "If a uniformed Dalit officer isn't safe, who is?" With social media amplifying the note's contents and protests gaining momentum, the pressure is on Modi and Saini to act decisively, or face a backlash that could erode their support among marginalized communities. This unfolding drama highlights deep-seated inequalities persisting in modern India, demanding accountability at the highest levels.

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