Rahul Gandhi slams BJP over Anjel Chakma's murder, says ruling party 'normalised hate'

Top Congress and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Monday (December 29) accused the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of facilitating a hate-filled environment that enabled the recent crime, which led to the death of a 24-year-old man from Tripura, Anjel Chakma, in Dehradun, Uttarakhand, last week.

Gandhi alleged that the BJP has fostered a climate of hatred through "toxic and irresponsible narratives".

'Horrific hate crime'

Sharing details of the incident on X, the Congress MP wrote in a pinned post that also carried the picture of a newspaper report on the incident, “What happened to Anjel Chakma and his brother Michael in Dehradun is a horrific hate crime. Hate doesn’t appear overnight. For years now, it is being fed daily—especially to our youth—through toxic content and irresponsible narratives. And it’s being normalised by the hate-spewing leadership of the ruling BJP.”

Also Read: Tripura student’s death: Dhami vows strict action; police hunt for 6th accused in Nepal

He added that India is founded on values of unity and respect, not fear and abuse.

“India is built on respect and unity, not fear and abuse. We are a country of love and diversity. We must not become a dead society that looks away while fellow Indians are targeted. We must reflect and confront what we are allowing our country to become,” he said.

“My thoughts are with the Chakma family and the people of Tripura and the Northeast. We are proud to call you our fellow Indian brothers and sisters,” Gandhi concluded. He added #JusticeForAnjelChakma at the end of his tweet.

Alleged racist slurs

The tragic incident occurred on December 9 in the Selaqui area of Dehradun. The two brothers were at a roadside canteen near a liquor shop when a group of five — identified as Avnish Negi, Shaurya Rajput, Suraj Khwas, Sumit and Ayush Baroni — allegedly made racist remarks at them. When they protested, the verbal attack turned into a fatal physical one.

Northeast brothers called 'Chinese momo'

According to Tarun Chakma, their father and a BSF jawan currently posted in Manipur, the accused assailants abused the duo using slurs such as “Chinese” and “Chinese momo”. When Anjel and Michael protested, they were attacked with blunt objects, including knives.

Also Read: Tripura man arrested in Bengaluru for insulting Kannadigas

Anjel sustained grievous injuries to his back and neck and was admitted to the local Graphic Era Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries 17 days later, on December 26. It was said that he received fatal injuries to his head and back. The two brothers reportedly tried to convince the attackers that they were Indians, but in vain.

Arun also alleged that the police filed a first information report related to the incident two to three days later, only after facing pressure from the All India Chakma Students Union and senior officials.

Police deny racist angle

However, the Dehradun Senior Superintendent of Police Ajay Singh, denied that it was a hate crime and claimed that it was an altercation among the group. On Saturday, Singh told reporters that the accused group of six people was allegedly talking about themselves, which led to the altercation. “It seemed as if someone was commenting on him (Anjel),” he said.

Also read: Pinarayi warns RSS and Centre against ‘importing mob violence’ into Kerala

All five accused have been arrested. Two of them are minors and have been sent to a juvenile reform home.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said such incidents are "unacceptable" and said strict action would be taken against the culprits. He also spoke with his Tripura counterpart Manik Saha.

On Sunday (December 28), the Tripura Chakma Students Association requested the central government to intervene in alleged attacks on students and youth from northeast India in various parts of the country.

(With agency inputs)