Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Saturday wrote a condolence letter to Amneet P Kumar, wife of late Haryana IPS officer Y Puran Kumar, who died by suicide citing prolonged caste-based discrimination by senior cops of the state and dubbed the suicide as “shocking and deeply painful”.
In her letter to Amneet Kumar, Sonia Gandhi said, “The news of the tragic death of your husband, senior IPS officer, Y. Puran Kumar, is both shocking and deeply saddening. My heartfelt condolences to you and your entire family during this time of immense difficulty.”
“The passing away of Y Puran Kumar reveals that even the highest-level officers can be denied social justice on account of the discriminatory attitude and the preconceived notions of the powers that be,” she said.
“Crores of Indians stand with you in your fight for justice,” she said.
Earlier, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi had also condemned Puran Kumar’s suicide.
Even Randeep Songh Surjewala on Saturday paid tribute to the late ADGP Y. Puran Kumar.
Speaking to the media, Surjewala, who is also Congress General Secretary said, “The forced suicide of Haryana’s ADGP Y. Puran Kumar has shaken the soul of the entire society and the nation.If such a senior officer in Haryana cannot get justice, then who will?”
The Congress leader said that such a person who is himself posted as IG, holds the rank of ADGP, graduated from IIM Ahmedabad, joined IPS with higher marks than IAS, his wife is a senior IAS officer-if he cannot get justice, then what will happen to ordinary Dalits and the poor, how will they get justice.
Firing salvos at the BJP-led state government, Surjewala questioned, “What are the conditions in Haryana state? Can you imagine? What is the reason that an officer of ADGP rank cannot visit the temple in a police station for darshan? What is the reason that a Dalit officer of ADGP rank is not granted leave to go home on his father’s death?What is the reason that due to systemic and caste-based discrimination, a Dalit ADGP has to be forced to take the extreme step and become a victim of suicide for raising his voice?”
He said that these are the questions that are in everyone’s mind.
“What happened today has crossed all limits. Without informing the family, without asking, the body of Puran Kumar was taken from 16 Sector Hospital to PGI, the family was not even allowed to have darshan-why? This is a crime, the Congress leader asserted.
“When such inhuman treatment is meted out openly to Dalits and the poor, and especially to Dalit colleagues who have reached the highest positions, then understand what the system of governance and government is like-can you imagine? At least now, let justice be served,” he added.
