Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has recommended a CBI probe into the Dalit burning incident in Faridabad.
Mr. Khattar, who earlier announced that he would pay a visit to the victims' place, has cancelled his visit.
A day after two children of a Dalit family were burnt alive in Sun Perh village in Ballabgarh, Faridabad district the family is protesting, demanding an inquiry by the CBI or by an appropriate retired High Court judge into the incident.
Showing no signs of relenting, the family was protesting on National Highway 2 with the bodies of the children, blocking the traffic for over an hour. Traffic was restored after police used mild force to disperse protesters.
Their house was allegedly set on fire by members of the Rajput community early on Tuesday, killing the two children. While Vaibhav (2 years) and Divya (10 months) died before reaching the Safdarjung Hospital in Delhi, their mother Rekha (22) was admitted to the ICU with serious burns.
Rekha’s husband, Jitender (26), a medical attendant at a hospital, escaped with minor burns on his hands.
The police have booked 11 persons in the case and arrested three so far.
Leaders stream in
Earlier on Wednesday, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi visited the family along with Haryana Congress chief Ashok Tanwar and Congress leader Shakeel Ahmed.
Mr. Gandhi said, “If you are weak you can be crushed. This is the attitude shared by the Prime Minister, Haryana Chief Minister, BJP and the RSS.” He also said that the children were killed in Sun Perh for no fault of theirs except that they were poor.
Replying to the allegations of the opposition that it was a photo opportunity for him, Mr. Gandhi said that people were being killed left, right and centre across the country and he would keep visiting these places.
Kalindi Kunj-Faridabad bypass blocked by Dalit families. Photo: Ashok Kumar
CPI (M) leader Brinda Karat also met the family and asked to why the chief minister or any of his senior ministers had not come to meet the family. She further said that the fact that no action was taken on the complaint of the family shows that no value is given to Dalit’s complaint in the country.