Rahul Gandhi calls Tripura student’s killing ‘horrific hate crime’, targets BJP over ‘normalising hate’

New Delhi: Describing the killing of a 24-year-old Tripura student in Dehradun as a "horrific hate crime", Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Monday said that the ruling BJP's "hate-spewing" leadership is "normalising" hate.

Rahul said on X that they should not become a "dead society that looks away while fellow Indians are targeted" and must "reflect and confront what we are allowing our country to become".

Anjel Chakma, who hails from Nandannagar in West Tripura was attacked by a group of six people when he objected to racial slurs hurled at him in Uttarakhand's capital Dehradun on December 9 and succumbed to his injuries a day after Christmas. Angel told his attackers that he "was also Indian, not Chinese" but they attacked him with knives and blunt objects.

"What happened to Anjel Chakma and his brother Michael in Dehradun is a horrific hate crime. Hate doesn’t appear overnight. For years now it is being fed daily - especially to our youth - through toxic content and irresponsible narratives. And it’s being normalised by the hate-spewing leadership of the ruling BJP," he said.

"India is built on respect and unity, not fear and abuse. We are a country of love and diversity. We must not become a dead society that looks away while fellow Indians are targeted. We must reflect and confront what we are allowing our country to become. My thoughts are with the Chakma family and the people of Tripura and North East. We are proud to call you our fellow Indian brothers and sisters," he said.

AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal said the incident was "shocking and heartbreaking". "This is not just a crime, it is a shame on the system. The country needs strict action and a national law against racism and hate crimes. Justice must be swift and exemplary," he said.

Senior Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal asked Home Minister Amit Shah to speak up against hate crimes and said the incident involving the Tripura student was a "shocking display of a hate crime, bigotry" and the "silence of leaders in government who by their inaction are complicit".

Tipra Motha chief Pradyot Kishore Manikya Debbarma announced a Rs 10 lakh cash reward on information about the main accused in the murder case.

"I heard that the Uttarakhand government has declared Rs 25,000 on information leading to the arrest of the mastermind in case. Is this the price for arresting the mastermind in the killing of Anjel Chakma, a final year student of MBA? I declare Rs 10 lakh to one who provides clues leading to the arrest of the person who had murdered Anjel Chakma. The amount will be paid from my own pocket. Don’t make fun of us”, he said in a video post.

The Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC), which is run by Tipra Motha, has announced a compensation of Rs 3 lakh to the family members of the deceased.