The controversy over the alleged suicide of a 47-year-old Dalit man at Dirba in Sangrur escalated on Thursday with his family alleging forcible cremation of the body, a charge denied by the police.
The family said they will not hold the customary ‘bhog’ ceremony and collect ashes until they get justice in the matter. The Dalit man died on Monday night after allegedly consuming poison, with his family claiming he was harassed and subjected to casteist slurs for questioning finance minister Harpal Singh Cheema about the supply of drugs in the area during an event on Sunday. The body was cremated on Tuesday.
Following the incident, the police registered an FIR against five residents of the village, four of whom were arrested. An SIT has also been formed to investigate the matter further.
In a purported video released on Thursday, the Dalit man’s son alleged that the cremation of his father was done forcibly and that his brother was misled into cremating the body. “We appeal that till justice is done, we will neither hold ‘bhog’ (customary ritual) nor collect his ashes,” he said.
The family demanded action against Cheema, panchayat members and the sarpanch who were “named” by the Dalit man before he died. “No agreement was reached and the cremation was held forcibly because heavy police forces from different districts were deployed,” the victim’s son said, adding that the administration gave them a cheque for ₹5 lakh as financial assistance on Thursday and his brother was promised a government job.
{{/usCountry}}The family demanded action against Cheema, panchayat members and the sarpanch who were “named” by the Dalit man before he died. “No agreement was reached and the cremation was held forcibly because heavy police forces from different districts were deployed,” the victim’s son said, adding that the administration gave them a cheque for ₹5 lakh as financial assistance on Thursday and his brother was promised a government job.
{{/usCountry}}Dirba deputy superintendent of police Rupinder Kaur Bajwa denied the allegations and said the family performed the cremation themselves. She said that a heavy police force was deployed to maintain law and order in the area.
Deputy inspector general (DIG), Patiala range, Kuldeep Chahal also denied allegations stating that the post-mortem could not have been done without the family permission.
Finance minister Harpal Singh Cheema did not immediately respond to calls for comment.
‘Threats’ pushed Dalit man to suicide: SC panel
The National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) claimed that the dalit man took the extreme step after “threats and intimidation”.
NCSC chairman Kishor Makwana visited the village on Thursday and extended his condolences to the bereaved family.
“The family has said that they were threatened and intimidated. They have also demanded action against the minister. According to the family, some of its members were not allowed to go to the cremation site,” Makwana said.
He assured the victim’s kin that the NCSC would take all necessary steps and stand by them.
Oppn leaders face backlash
High political drama unfolded as visiting delegations from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress faced protests by local Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) workers and villagers while trying to meet the Dalit man’s family.
The BJP delegation, led by state chief Kewal Singh Dhillon faced intense hostility, with AAP protesters intercepting their vehicles both when travelling to and returning from the village.
Simultaneously, Congress leader and former chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi encountered an identical backlash upon arrival, where local workers raised anti-Congress slogans as he entered the village.
The AAP said the BJP’s attempt to play the caste card in Punjab had once again met with a strong public rejection, with villagers chasing away its leaders and delivering a blunt message to the BJP that divisive politics has no place in Punjab.
AAP’s state general secretary (organisation) Baltej Pannu said people of Punjab would never allow the BJP to replicate the Jat–non-Jat politics played in Haryana.
Cong demands FIR against minister
Channi, who met the family, demanded an FIR against Cheema. “The family was not even allowed to see the victim’s face. According to the family, they were not allowed near the body, nor was the body permitted to be brought home,” Channi alleged.
Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring has condemned the alleged forcible cremation of the Dalit man, accusing the Bhagwant Mann-led AAP government of being “criminally callous” and “arrogantly insensitive” towards the grieving family.
In a statement, Warring alleged that the government had added insult to injury by ensuring that the victim’s last rites were performed against his family’s wishes.
BJP seeks CBI Inquiry
Dhillon, who also met the victim’s family, said the BJP has demanded a CBI inquiry into the matter and has also met the governor regarding it.
“Instead of taking steps to stop the drug menace, they (government) are trying to silence the voices of the people and intimidate them. This is against democracy. No one has the right to silence the voice of the people. Standing with the people and their voice, the entire BJP delegation has come here in solidarity,” he added.
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Thursday alleged that two people had been subjected to torture — one for showing a black flag to the CM and second for questioning the finance minister over the alleged availability of drugs.
Addressing a ‘Punjab Bachao’ rally in Kharar, Sukhbir said the incidents reflected the “change” brought by the Aam Aadmi Party government and accused Mann of turning Punjab into a “police state”.