Govt not responsible if someone throws stones at a dog: V.K. Singh

New Delhi, October 22

Union Minister V.K. Singh on Thursday blamed a family feud for the burning alive of two Dalit children in Haryana and drew an analogy that if someone throws stones at a dog, the government is not responsible.

"If someone throws stones at a dog, the government is not responsible. It was a feud between two families, the matter in under inquiry," Singh told reporters.

His comment came after two children were burnt alive while their parents were critically injured when the house of the Dalit family in Haryana's Faridabad district was set on fire on Tuesday.

"Failure of administration should not be put on government's head," he added.

The statement has drawn him major flak across the nation and the Congress has demanded his resignation and that a case be slapped against him under the Prevention of Atrocities on Scheduled Castes Act Section 3 and 4.

“The statement passed by V.K. Singh is demeaning, disparaging, insulting. The inhumane remarks about our Dalit brothers and sisters are derogatory, condemnable and reprehensible. It reflects the anti-Dalit mindset of the Modi government and his ministers,” Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said.

Two children of a Dalit family were burnt alive and their parents suffered injuries allegedly after their house was set on fire while they were sleeping at Sunped village on the outskirts of Delhi.

Seven persons have been arrested in connection with the case so far and three policemen have also been suspended for dereliction of duty.

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.

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.”

Minister clarifies

VK Singh, however, later clarified his statement was not intended to draw an analogy between the Faridabad incident and the 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.

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.”

BJP stands by Singh

The BJP jumped to VK Singh’s defence nd asked the media to not “blown it out of proportion”

"As far as statement of the minister V K Singh ji is concerned, he has himself given a clarification of the same. He has said he was misquoted. He never meant what was in fact showed in the media. He really condemns the incident, which happened in Faridabad... I think we should not blow the whole thing out of proportion," BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra told reporters here.

When asked about AAP's announcement that it will file an FIR demanding Singh's arrest, he said the Arvind Kejriwal-led party is not answering questions about Delhi, where it is the ruling party, and is interfering everywhere else.

“Ask the AAP, what it did when a child from Odisha, Avinash, died of dengue because he could not get admitted to a hospital and his parents committed suicide,” Patra questioned.

“It is better that they take care of the state for which they have mandate.”

When some reporters asked about some comments about media that they claimed Singh had made, Patra said he was not aware of any such remarks but added that the BJP holds the media in high esteem. -- Agencies