Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi meets the family of Somnath Suryavanshi, who died in judicial custody after violence in Maharashtra’s Parbhani town on December 23, 2024. Photo: X/@INCIndia
Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Monday (Dec 23, 2024) insisted that Somnath Suryavanshi, who allegedly died in police custody after violence in Maharashtra’s Parbhani town, was “killed” because he was a Dalit and was defending the Constitution.
‘The police killed Somnath Suryavanshi. This is death in custody. He was killed because he was a Dalit who defended the Constitution,” Mr. Gandhi said after meeting the Ambedkar family on Monday (December 23).
“I have met the families of those who were killed and beaten up in Parbhani. The family showed me the post-mortem report, videos and photographs. It is 100 per cent a custodial death and there is no doubt about it,” he added.
He also demanded action against those involved in the crime. “We want this case to be solved immediately and the perpetrators of this crime to be prosecuted. I am not at all satisfied with the investigation,’ he said.
“This is not political at all. This is a clean murder and justice must be done. The ideology of RSS is to destroy the constitution. Ideology is responsible, since the Chief Minister made such a statement, the Chief Minister is responsible,’ he said.
On the evening of December 10, Dr. outside the city railway station in Marathwada region. Violence broke out in Parbhani after a glass-enclosed replica of the Constitution was vandalized near Babasaheb Ambedkar’s statue.
Suryavanshi, a resident of Shankar Nagar in Parbhani, was among the more than 50 arrested involved in the violence.
According to the police, he was taken to the government hospital for treatment on January 1 after he complained of chest pain and discomfort when he was in judicial custody and kept in Parbhani District Central Jail.
Read this also Maharashtra police said that 50 people have been arrested in Parbhani violence
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has ordered a judicial inquiry into the Parbhani violence.
Mr. Fadnavis recently told the state assembly that Suryavanshi told a magistrate that he was not tortured and that CCTV footage also showed no evidence of brutality.
State BJP chief and revenue minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule termed Gandhi’s visit as a “drama”.
published – December 23, 2024 04:05 PM IST