Pradesh Congress Committee president Bhupesh Baghel was arrested on Sunday as he tried to stage a sit-in at Chief Minister Residence in a bid to politicise the issue of death of a Scheduled Caste person in a police station in Janjgir-Champa district.
Baghel who is grappling with infighting in Congress as well as serious challenges from breakaway faction of Congress led by former Chief Minister Ajit Jogi, reached CM House along with his a handful of supporters and staged a sit-in seeking resignation of Chief Minister Raman Singh for what he called the ‘murder of a Dalit youth Satish by cops in a police station’.
Reports say that the 30-year-old Dalit youth of Nariyara village was beaten to death by Mulmula police station cops who picked him up after the Dalit youth had a tip off with a joint engineer of electricity department whom he wanted to restore power connection of his village.
Congress alleged that the killing of a Dalit youth in a police station shows the anti-Dalit mentality of the ruling BJP. Congress has formed a 20-member probe panel led by party’s SC face Shiv Dahariya to go into details about the circumstances which led to his death.
Congress also announced a daylong state-wide protest on Monday to press for its demand for resignation of Raman Singh on the issue of Dalit youth’s death.
Meanwhile, former Chief Minister and founder CJC (J) Ajit Jogi while condemning the incident demanded compensation of Rs 50 lakh for the family members of the deceased person.
“This incident has raised a serious question mark over the working of BJP government as well as Chhattisgarh Police,” Ajit Jogi said in a press statement.
He further demanded that a case of murder should be registered against the police station staff and also compensation of Rs 50 lakh must be provided to the family members of the deceased person.
leader of Congress legislature Party (ClP) TS Singhdeo opined that the incident has exposed suppressive face of the state government.
“Since the matter is related with the department (Energy) that is headed by Chief Minister Raman Singh, so the Chief Minister should take a suo-moto cognisance of the incident and get register case of murder and atrocities act against the person involved,” Singhdeo said while adding that the culprits must be punished.