Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Friday launched a fierce attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP, following the alleged suicide of Haryana IPS officer Y. Puran Kumar, citing a worrying surge in crimes against Dalits and Adivasis.

Citing National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data, Kharge highlighted a 46 per cent rise in crimes against Dalits and a staggering 91 per cent increase in atrocities against Adivasis between 2013 and 2023. In an X post, he wrote:

"Narendra Modi ji, according to the NCRB report, between 2013 and 2023, there has been a 46 per cent increase in crimes against Dalits. Crimes against Adivasis have increased by 91 per cent."

Kharge condemned a string of recent incidents, including caste-based discrimination against IPS officers in Haryana, the brutal murder of Hariom Valmiki in Raebareli, the attack on Chief Justice of India BR Gavai, and atrocities against Dalit woman Kamla Devi Raigar in Rajasthan. He termed them “not just isolated events, but a dangerous manifestation of the RSS-BJP's feudal mindset.”

The Congress chief warned that these actions are a direct assault on the constitutional principles of social justice and equality: "This chain of events is a direct assault on the fundamental principles of India's Constitution, social justice, and equality. This politics of intimidating and suppressing Dalits, backward classes, Adivasis, and marginalised communities poses a serious threat to democracy."

Kharge further criticized PM Modi, saying: "India will be governed by the Constitution, not by the decrees of any extremist ideology. Dalits, Adivasis, backward classes, minorities, and weaker sections are bearing the brunt of this, and you are keeping your eyes shut to these issues while remaining engrossed in your own spectacles."

Joining the chorus, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi described the IPS officer’s suicide as “terrifying” and tied it to other acts of caste-based violence across the country. She wrote on X:

"First, the murder of Hariom Valmiki ji in Raebareli, then the insult to the Chief Justice, and now the suicide of a senior officer--this proves that the BJP rule has become a curse for Dalits. Whether it is an ordinary citizen or someone in a high position, if they belong to the Dalit community, injustice and inhumanity do not leave them alone."

Meanwhile, Chandigarh Police filed an FIR against Haryana DGP Shatrujeet Singh Kapur and Rohtak SP Narendra Bijarniya following a complaint by IAS officer Amneet Puran Kumar, wife of the late IPS officer. The FIR, lodged under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, and the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, cites abetment to suicide and caste-based harassment.