New Delhi, 08 September (H.S.): Union Parliamentary Affairs and Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Tuesday hit back at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his reaction to the alleged murder of a musician in southeast Delhi, saying that politics should not be played over the tragic incident and that the focus should instead remain on ensuring swift and stringent action against those responsible.

Speaking to the media, Rijiju said, “They are Indians too. People from the Northeast are Indians as well. This is not an issue to indulge in politics over; strict action should be taken.” He said the unfortunate incident occurred during a late-night altercation between dhaba employees and food-delivery personnel over an unspecified issue. As the sudden confrontation took place at night, no one was initially aware of what had happened. However, after the victim’s son made a PCR call, the Delhi Police responded promptly.

The minister said that despite the suspects fleeing the scene, the Delhi Police arrested them within a very short period. When he asked the police about the filing of the chargesheet, he was informed that it would be filed in court within eight to nine days of the incident, enabling the accused to be brought to justice and punished strictly at the earliest.

Objecting to Rahul Gandhi’s criticism of the government over the incident, Rijiju questioned why the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was being dragged into such a tragic episode. He said that whenever a person loses their life in a tragic incident, political leaders should focus on ensuring swift justice rather than using the matter for political purposes.

The minister assured that the government is fully committed to safeguarding the security and rights of citizens from the Northeast. He said the ‘North-East Special Police Cell’, functioning specifically under the Delhi Police, continuously monitors such cases so that immediate action can be taken in the event of any untoward incident. He said the situation has changed compared with the past and that a stronger mechanism is now in place, enabling the police to respond promptly to incidents involving people from the Northeast in Delhi.

Rijiju expressed his deep condolences to the family of Manipuri musician C. Vikram Singh, assured them of justice and said the perpetrators should receive stringent punishment so that a clear message is sent to society that such acts of violence will not be tolerated under any circumstances.

It may be recalled that Manipuri musician C. Vikram Singh was allegedly killed late Sunday night in Kilokri village in southeast Delhi after objecting to noise and unruly behaviour. Police have arrested all the accused in the case, including dhaba employees and delivery personnel.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar