Pressure mounted on the Haryana government to act on the Dalit lynching case with the National Human Rights Commission today issuing it a notice to file a report on the incident within a week.
And Deputy Prime Minister LK Advani said the Centre would ask Haryana to investigate the charges and punish the guilty.
The incident — first reported in The Indian Express — took place on October 16. Five dalits were lynched after being accused of skinning a cow in Haryana’s Jhajjar district. Taking serious note of the incident, the full Commission headed by Justice J.S. Verma asked its Director-General (Investigation) to collect the facts into the incident.
Issuing the notice to the Haryana Chief Secretary and Director-General of Police, the NHRC said the report with all the facts should be submitted to the Commission within a week.
Meanwhile, the Congress stepped up political pressure, deciding to intensify its ‘Chautala Hatao-Haryana Bachao’ programme via a series of rallies beginning in Rohtak on Sunday.
Significantly, Haryana CM Om Prakash Chautala has stayed away. This, despite his visit to Jhajjar district yesterday.