Dalit kids killings: Gen V K Singh’s ‘dog’ comment sparks outrage

Union Minister V K Singh today kicked up a storm with his comments that the Centre cannot be blamed if somebody throws a stone at a dog to shield it from criticism for the Faridabad Dalit burning incident, prompting opposition demands for his ouster.

“See, the thing is, never associate local incidents with the Central government (sarkar). There is an inquiry going on. There was a dispute between families. The dispute…how did it turn out…where did the administration fail, after these it come to the Centre.

“For everything…like if somebody throws a stone at a dog, then the government is responsible…it is not like that,” Singh said in Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh, the constituency he represents in Parliament, while referring to the burning alive of a Dalit family in Haryana’s Faridabad which left two toddlers dead on the intervening night of October 19-20.

The comments of Singh, Union Minister of State for External affairs, drew sharp criticism from the opposition, including the Congress, which demanded his immediate sacking.

“It is condemnable, it is shocking, it is inhumane to say the least. General V K Singh has insulted not only the entire Dalit community of this country but all Indians. It reflects the mindset of the Modi government which insults Dalits, which insults the minorities and looks down upon the people who are poor and downtrodden,” Congress spokesman Randeep Surjewala said in Delhi.

He demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi sack him and tender an apology on Singh’s behalf. Surjewala said a criminal case should be registered against the minister under Prevention of Atrocities on Schedule Castes Act.

Senior Congress leader Manish Tewari described the dog analogy used by Singh as “preposterous and abominable”.

“….comparing the death of two little children who were burnt alive to possibly the stoning of a dog…what could be more preposterous and abominable than that. This reflects the mindset of the government.

“To recall the Prime Minister of India made a similar analogy about two years back in an interview to Reuters when he said that if a pup gets crushed under the wheels of a car that needs to be emphasised too. That remark was in the context of the Gujarat pogrom,” he said.

Gen V K Singh, however, later clarified his statement was not intended to draw an analogy between the Faridabad incident and stoning of a dog.

“My statement wasn’t intended 2draw an analogy. My men & I put our lives on the line 4the nation irrespective of caste,creed & religion,” he tweeted.

“As citizens of this gr8 nation v r sensitive but also responsible.Agenda of India is bigger than any single neighborhood or individual,” he said in another tweet.

CPI(M) politburo member Brinda Karat described Singh’s remarks as “arrogance of casteism” and demanded registration of a criminal case against him, while raking up Modi’s puppy remark made when he was Gujarat Chief Minister.

“His statement is a clear casteist statement and it comes under the provisions of the prevention of crime against SC Act. Therefore, this gentleman has to be booked under the Act for casteism and casteist comments.

“Secondly, how can such a man remain in the Central Cabinet. Of course, we all know that Modiji at one time had talked about puppies in relation to a particular community. But at least now that he is Prime Minister, hopefully he will get over his own prejudices and take action against this person,” she said.

Singh, however, insisted a controversy has been created out of “unconnected sentences”.

“I have given an analogy by seeing an animal in front of me out there in that village (where he had gone for an event in Ghaziabad). Which is what happened. I have not said anything about those people (the victims of burning incident).

“All I said was suppose somebody wants to hit a dog and everybody starts saying in the media that this is what the government is doing….Now how it relates to that I cannot understand,” he said.

Under unrelenting attack from the opposition, he also tweeted: “My statement wasn’t intended 2draw an analogy. My men & I put our lives on the line 4the nation irrespective of caste,creed & religion.”

“As citizens of this gr8 nation v r sensitive but also responsible.Agenda of India is bigger than any single neighborhood or individual,” he said in another tweet.

However, an unsparing Congress chief spokesman Randeep Surjewala said, “It is condemnable, it is shocking, it is inhumane to say the least. General V K Singh has insulted not only the entire Dalit community of this country but all Indians. It reflects the mindset of the Modi government which insults Dalits, which insults the minorities and looks down upon the people who are poor and downtrodden.”

He demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi sack him and tender an apology on Singh’s behalf. Surjewala said a criminal case should be registered against the minister under Prevention of Atrocities on Schedule Castes Act.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal called Singh’s statement as “shameful” and that it was prosecutable under SC/ST Act. “A case should be registered against him immediately,” he added.

Swaraj Abhiyan leader Yogendra Yadav termed Singh’s remarks as “absolutely shocking”, particularly as it came from a person coming from Haryana and “belonging to a community whose members are allegedly involved in the crime”.

“The dog remark crosses all limits. He should resign forthwith or be dismissed,” he said.

RJD spokesman Manoj Jha said,” This is a sad day…using a kind of disgusting simile of dog…stoning of dog about that burning alive.

“Where are we taking our country. Where is the rule of law. I mean, he is a cabinet minister…Prime Minister speaks about moratorium…I think there should be a moratorium on people like V K Singh. They are taking India to barbaric medieval ages,” he said.

BJP MP Udit Raj said, “V K Singh has issued an official statement. But if he has made the remarks in the context of what happened at Sanped village, I disagree with him.”