Amid sharp criticism from the Opposition over the Faridabad incident, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar lal Khattar on Thursday visited the family of the two Dalit children who were burnt alive at Sunpedh Village and said the incident should not be given a “political or casteist colour”.
Khattar, who was expected to meet the family on Wednesday, had to defer the visit in the wake of protests by angry locals.
Two toddlers, two-and-a-half-year-old Vaibhav and 9-month-old Divya died after their house was set on fire by members of an upper caste community on the intervening night of October 19 and 20. Their mother Rekha is currently in hospital with 70 per cent burns while father Jitender also sustained injuries in the incident.
During the 15-minute-long meeting with the family, the Chief Minister assured the family that the State Government would bear the cost of treatment of the injured mother, Rekha, who is recuperating in Safdarjung Hospital.
He assured Jitender and his family members that the culprits would be brought to justice after investigation. Khattar also handed over a cheque of `10 lakh to the aggrieved family.
While talking to the mediapersons, the Chief Minister said that the CBI enquiry is already marked into this incident. So far, six of the 11 accused have been arrested and the others would be nabbed soon. Eight Police personnel who had been deployed for the protection of the victim family have been suspended for showing grave misconduct in discharging their duties, said he.
“We want that the investigation is done properly. But with great regret I have to say that some parties are trying to politicise this incident... It should not be given a “political or casteist colour,” said Khattar slamming the Opposition.
“I met the victim’s family today and handed them over a cheque of `10 lakh. So far, what has emerged from the investigation is that the matter is not a caste-related dispute but appears to be fallout of a long standing family feud,” he added.
The Chief Minister said, “I have been monitoring this case since the very beginning and when allegations came up against police officials, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) was formed. later the case was handed over to CBI as the relatives of the victim demanded that.”
Khattar also called Haryana a “peaceful” state and claimed that such incidents are not likely to happen again. later, he travelled to outskirts of the village and met the relatives of the accused at a circuit house. He had a ten-minute meeting with the wives of three persons who were allegedly killed last year by relatives of Jitender hence fuelling the family enmity further. People from Rajput community from 12 villages also met the Chief Minister and demanded that narco-test of members of the both the families (accused and victim) should be conducted.
Under attack from the Opposition and ally lJP, the Haryana Government had a day before recommended a CBI probe into the incident.
After the gruesome incident came to the light, the politicians made a beeline for the village on Wednesday. Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi had visited the village where he accused the Prime Minister, Khattar, the BJP and RSS of practising “politics of crushing” those who are weak which results in such incidents.
Haryana Pradesh Congress president Ashok Tanwar, Haryana ClP leader Kiran Chaudhry, Congress leader Kumari Selja, BJP MP from Ambala Rattan lal Kataria, CPM’s Brinda Karat, AAP leaders Ashutosh, Sanjay Singh and Ramdas Athawale, MP from Maharashtra, also landed up at the village on Wednesday.
This fresh attack on a Dalit family in Haryana has sparked a fresh bout of acrimonious exchanges between the Opposition and the ruling BJP.