Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Monday claimed Somnath Suryavanshi was killed because he was a Dalit and was protecting the Constitution, in the wake of the desecration of its replica in Maharashtra's Parbhani.
Police killed Suryavanshi, and it was a 'cent per cent custodial death", the leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha alleged after meeting Suryavanshi's family members in Parbhani.
Talking to reporters, Gandhi said he met Suryavanshi's family members who showed him the post-mortem report, as well as some photographs and videos.
Parbhani witnessed violence after a glass-enclosed replica of the Constitution near Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar's statue outside the railway station in the city, located in Marathwada region, was vandalised on the evening of December 10.
Suryavanshi (35), a resident of Shankar Nagar in Parbhani, was among more than 50 persons arrested in connection with the violence.
He died on December 15 at a state-run hospital where he was rushed after complaining of chest pain and uneasiness while he was in judicial custody and lodged at the Parbhani district central prison, as per police.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has ordered a judicial probe into the Parbhani violence.
Fadnavis said in the state assembly recently that Suryavanshi had told a magistrate that he was not tortured and the CCTV footage also doesn't show any evidence of brutality.
After meeting Suryavanshi's family, Gandhi claimed, 'The youth was killed because he was a Dalit and was protecting the Constitution. This is a cent per cent custodial death. The police have murdered him."
"The chief minister lied in the assembly to give a message to the police. The RSS ideology is to wipe out the Constitution," the Congress leader charged.
Gandhi demanded that the matter be resolved and those who killed the man be punished.
"This is not politics, there has been a murder and action has to be taken," he said.
Asked who was responsible for the Parbhani incident, Gandhi said, "Ideology is responsible for this and since the chief minister has spoken, he too is responsible."
Later, Gandhi also met the family of Vijay Wakode, who had died during a protest in Parbhani following the violence.
Earlier, Gandhi arrived at Nanded airport from Delhi and travelled to Parbhani by road. He was accompanied by AICC in-charge for Maharashtra Ramesh Chennithala, state Congress chief Nana Patole and other leaders.
