CHANDIGARH, Oct 14 — Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday met the family of Haryana IPS officer Y. Puran Kumar, who was found dead with a gunshot wound at his Chandigarh residence on October 7, and extended his condolences.
Speaking to reporters after the visit, Gandhi alleged that Puran Kumar was subjected to “systematic discrimination” aimed at demoralising him and damaging his career. “This is not just about the respect of one family — it is about the dignity of all Dalits,” he said, urging Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini to act swiftly in the case.
“A wrong message is being sent out to Dalits — that no matter how successful you are, if you are Dalit, you can still be oppressed and crushed,” the Congress leader remarked.
Gandhi accused the Haryana government of failing to uphold its assurances of a fair probe. “My message as Leader of Opposition to the Prime Minister and Haryana Chief Minister is to fulfil their commitment to the daughters of IPS Puran Kumar and allow his funeral to take place with dignity,” he said.
The visit came as opposition parties intensified criticism of the BJP-led Haryana government over what they have described as the mishandling of the officer’s alleged suicide and the larger issue of caste-based discrimination within the state bureaucracy.
