"Somnath Suryavanshi murdered in police custody, CM lied in Assembly": Sanjay Raut supports Rahul Gandhi's visit to Parbhani

Raut was speaking in response to Rahul Gandhi's visit to the city, where he is set to address the public about the ongoing issues in the state. Referring to incidents of alleged police brutality, Raut said, "Somnath Suryavanshi was murdered in police custody, and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis lied in the Assembly saying that the police did not beat him up. Santosh Deshmukh was murdered in front of the people of Maharashtra."

He added that Rahul Gandhi's visit was well within his rights as a Member of Parliament. "Rahul Gandhi has a constitutional right to visit any place where such an incident has happened," Raut added.

Meanwhile, after the Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi's Monday visit to violence-hit Parbhani, Maharashtra Minister and state BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule said that the Congress leader came to Parbhani to "dramatize and provoke society."

Bawankule told ANI, "Rahul Gandhi came to Parbhani and left after giving silly statements. He has never worked in the government and does not know anything about law and order. Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis has taken all steps regarding the incident. Rahul Gandhi came only to dramatize. Rahul Gandhi provoked society. Our government is concerned about the incident and is taking all necessary steps."

Earlier, Maharashtra Chief Minister Fadnavis termed Rahul Gandhi's visit to Parbhani "a political meeting" and an "attempt to create hatred among people on caste lines."

"Rahul Gandhi has come here only for political purposes; this was just a political meeting, an attempt to create hatred among people on caste lines. He has been doing this for the last many years, so I think his work of spreading hatred was completed today in Parbhani," Fadnavis said.

Fadnavis also informed that the state government had announced a judicial inquiry into the Parbhani violence, assuring that no one would be spared and the strictest action would be taken against the guilty.

"The government of Maharashtra is sensitive, so we have announced a judicial inquiry into this entire matter. All the truth will come out in the judicial inquiry. Nothing will be hidden. If it is revealed in that investigation that the death occurred due to assault or any other reason, no one will be spared, and the strictest action will be taken," he said.

Rahul Gandhi, on Monday, visited Maharashtra's violence-hit Parbhani and alleged that the victim was "murdered" because he was a Dalit and was "protecting" the Constitution.

"I have met the family and those who have been killed and beaten up. They showed me the post-mortem report, videos, photographs. This is 100 per cent a custodial death. He has been murdered, and the Chief Minister lied in the Assembly to give a message to the police. This young man was killed because he was a Dalit and was protecting the Constitution," Rahul Gandhi told reporters.

Violence erupted in Parbhani city on December 10 following the alleged vandalism of a replica of the Indian Constitution. Special Inspector General of Nanded, Shahaji Umap, earlier stated that around 50 people had been arrested, and eight cases had been registered in connection with the violence. (ANI)