Sonia Gandhi says IPS officer Puran Kumar's death exposes 'prejudiced attitude of those in power'

New Delhi: Top Congress leader Sonia Gandhi has said the death of IPS officer Y Puran Kumar is a reminder that the "prejudiced and biased" attitude of those in power deprives even the most senior officers of social justice.

In a letter to bureaucrat Amneet P Kumar, the wife of Haryana Additional DGP Puran Kumar, who died by suicide, Sonia said the death of the IPS officer was both shocking and deeply saddening, and the entire country is with her in the fight for justice.

"The news of the tragic death of your husband and senior IPS officer Y Puran Kumar is both shocking and deeply saddening. My heartfelt condolences to you and your entire family in this time of immense difficulty," she said in her letter on Friday.

"The passing of Y Puran Kumar is a reminder to us that even today, the prejudiced and biased attitude of those in power deprives even the most senior officials of social justice. I, and millions of people of the country, stand with you on this path to justice," she said.

"May God grant you patience, courage, and strength in this difficult situation," she said.

Earlier this week, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi had blamed the BJP’s “Manuvadi” ideology for the alleged suicide of Puran Kumar, claiming that it has become a “curse” for the SC, ST, OBC, and weaker sections.

Kharge had said it was “not only shocking but also a horrific testament to social injustice, inhumanity, and insensitivity,” while Rahul claimed that “hatred and Manuvadi ideology” of BJP-RSS have “filled society with venom” and “Dalits, tribals, backward classes, and Muslims” are “gradually losing hope for justice”.