Rahul Gandhi In Parbhani Accuses CM Fadnavis Of Lying About Custodial Death, Says Man ‘Killed’ Because He Was Dalit

Rahul Gandhi visited the family of Somnath Suryavanshi, a Dalit man who died in police custody after violence in Parbhani. He alleged the man was 'murdered' and CM Devendra Fadnavis lied about the same.

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Monday met the family of Somnath Suryavanshi, who died in judicial custody following violence in Maharashtra's Parbhani city earlier this month.  Parbhani, located in the Marathwada region, witnessed violence on 10 December after a glass-enclosed replica of the Constitution near Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar’s statue outside the railway station was vandalised.

Suryavanshi, a resident of Shankar Nagar in Parbhani, was among more than 50 individuals arrested in connection with the incident.  According to police, Suryavanshi died on 15 December at a state-run hospital after complaining of chest pain and uneasiness while in judicial custody at the Parbhani district central prison, news agency PTI reported.  

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has ordered a judicial probe into the Parbhani violence. In the state assembly, Fadnavis stated that Suryavanshi had informed a magistrate that he was not tortured, adding that CCTV footage showed no evidence of brutality.  

However, Rahul Gandhi strongly refuted these claims during his visit. He remarked, "I have met the family and those who have been killed and beaten up. They showed me the post-mortem report, videos, photographs. This is 100% a custodial death. He has been murdered and the Chief Minister lied in the Assembly to give a message to the police. This young man was killed because he was a Dalit and was protecting the Constitution."

"The ideology of the RSS is to destroy the Constitution. We want this matter to be resolved immediately and those who have done this should be punished. No politics is being done... The ideology is responsible, because the Chief Minister has made this statement so the Chief Minister is responsible, those who have killed him are responsible and action should be taken as soon as possible," he added, as quoted by news agency ANI.

Maharashtra BJP Terms Rahul Gandhi's Parbhani Visit A 'Drama'

On Sunday, Maharashtra BJP president and revenue minister Chandrashekar Bawankule criticised Rahul Gandhi's visit, calling it a "drama."  

Bawankule remarked, “Instead of doing such drama, focus should be on how the society can be benefited through constructive means. The BJP and the state government are committed to keeping the society and all communities united.”

The incident and the subsequent political exchange have intensified debates over custodial deaths, the treatment of Dalits, and accountability in Maharashtra.