Custodial death: Rahul visited Parbhani for political reasons, says CM Fadnavis

Pune, Dec 23 (PTI) Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday said Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's visit to Parbhani to meet the kin of a Dalit man who died in custody was "only for political reasons" and to "create hatred".

Earlier in the day, Gandhi met the kin of Somnath Suryavanshi in Parbhani and said the youth was killed because he was a Dalit and was protecting the Constitution.

Suryavanshi was among the more than 50 persons who were arrested after violence broke out there on December 10 following the desecration of a glass-enclosed replica of the Constitution near a statue of Babasaheb Ambedkar.

Suryavanshi (35), a resident of Shankar Nagar in Parbhani, was lodged in Parbhani district central jail and died on December 15 at a state-run hospital after complaining of chest pain and uneasiness.

On Monday, Gandhi alleged police killed Suryavanshi and asserted it was a ''cent per cent custodial death".

Speaking to reporters in Pune on the sidelines of an event, Chief Minister Fadnavis said, "Rahul Gandhi came only for political reasons. His job is to create hatred among people. We are investigating all the cases. The matter is in court." "If it is proved that the death occurred due to police assault, then no one will be spared," Fadnavis, who holds the home portfolio, added.

The state government has already ordered a judicial probe into the Parbhani violence.

During the Winter Session of the assembly, which ended on December 21, Fadnavis had informed that Suryavanshi had told a magistrate that he was not tortured.

The CCTV footage also doesn't show any evidence of brutality, Fadnavis had told the House.

During his visit, Gandhi also met the family of Vijay Wakode, who had died during a protest in Parbhani following the violence. PTI