The victim, Angel Chakma, 24, a resident of Nandannagar in West Tripura district, was allegedly attacked by a group of six people on December 9 after he objected to a racial slur in Dehradun. He succumbed to his injuries while undergoing treatment on December 26.
New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday described the killing of a Tripura student in Dehradun as a “horrific hate crime” and accused the ruling BJP of “normalising” hatred.
The victim, Angel Chakma, 24, a resident of Nandannagar in West Tripura district, was allegedly attacked by a group of six people on December 9 after he objected to a racial slur in Dehradun. He succumbed to his injuries while undergoing treatment on December 26.
In a post on X, Gandhi said hate does not emerge overnight. “What happened to Angel Chakma and his brother Michael in Dehradun is a horrific hate crime. Hate is being fed daily, especially to our youth, through toxic content and irresponsible narratives, and it is being normalised by the hate-spewing leadership of the ruling BJP,” he said.
The Leader of Opposition said India is built on respect and unity, not fear and abuse. “We are a country of love and diversity. We must not become a society that looks away while fellow Indians are targeted. We must reflect on what we are allowing our country to become,” he added, expressing solidarity with the Chakma family and the people of Tripura and the Northeast.
Meanwhile, Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal also criticised the government over the incident and urged Union Home Minister Amit Shah to speak out against hate crimes. In a post on X, Sibal termed the killing a “shocking display of hate crime and bigotry” and said the silence of leaders amounted to complicity.
Congress MP from Assam Gaurav Gogoi raised concerns over racial profiling, recalling instances where people from the Northeast were asked to prove their nationality. He asserted that people from the region are Indians and should not be subjected to such prejudice.
As outrage grew, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said such incidents were unacceptable and assured strict action against those responsible. Police announced a reward of Rs 25,000 for the arrest of the lone absconding accused, a Nepal national, and said a team had been sent to the neighbouring country. Five others, including two juveniles, have already been apprehended.
