BRS working president KT Rama Rao has called out the Centre over the killing of Anjel Chakma, urging it enact strict and unambiguous laws to criminalise racist speech and behaviour and ensure swift arrest and punishment. While the Uttarakhand police have denied any racial motive behind the brutal murder, the family has alleged that it was a racist attack.
Calling out racism as a crime against humanity, Rao took to social media to condemn the death of the MBA student. He said the brutal killing was a painful reminder of how prejudice, power, and impunity can converge with devastating consequences. The former Telangana industry minister went on to add, “India cannot afford this poison. A nation built on the idea of unity in diversity cannot survive selective hatred. Justice must be non-negotiable, and racism, in any form, must be met with zero tolerance.”
Rao, popularly known as KTR, also called for stricter laws against the perpetrators. He warned that such incidents should not be treated as just isolated incidents and hatred should not be normalised. He called for stricter laws to ensure stern action in such situations and punishment for the guilty. “Such incidents are not isolated aberrations; they are loud, clear, and tragic warnings of what happens when hatred is normalised, and discrimination is tolerated. The Government of India has both a moral and constitutional obligation to act decisively. There must be strict, unambiguous laws that criminalise racist speech, behaviour and incitement; laws that ensure swift arrest, prosecution and punishment,” the BRS leader said.
Anjel Chakma, the son of a BSF constable hailing from Tripura, was violently assaulted and stabbed in Dehradun after he and his brother stood up to being abused with racial slurs by a group of intoxicated men. Following the wide condemnation of the incident, five men have been arrested, while one has escaped to Nepal.