Minister of State for External Affairs General (Retd.) V.K. Singh on Thursday criticized the media for manipulating and misreporting a statement that he had made on the sidelines of an event in Ghaziabad with regard to an attack on a Dalit family in Ballabgarh, Haryana. He suggested that media persons indulging in such activity should be sent to mental hospitals for treatment.
"Hamare yehan log har cheez ko tool dete hain (People exaggerate things in our country). For example, if I hit a dog, then, they will manipulate and give a different meaning to it. Now, if you relate this statement with previous statements and say that the general compared Dalits to 'dogs', it's a shame on such journalists for manipulating the statement. That journalist should leave his job and should be admitted in Agra for treatment,"Singh told media here.
"There is a big problem in our country, and that is, we manipulate everything. There is no caste or religion system in the organisation (army) for which I worked for 42 years. The people who are taking out the wrong meaning from my statement should understand this. I was asked that what is the mistake of government in the Ballabgarh incident. I just said what will the government do, as it is their internal matter," Singh added.
Singh had reportedly reacted controversially to the burning to death of two Dalit children in Ballabhgarh on Tuesday, saying that it had become customary for everyone to blame the Centre for everything that was negative in the country.
"This incident has nothing to with the Central Government. This is the failure of the state government. If someone throws stones at a dog, the government is not responsible," Singh said.
The statement immediately drew flak. The opposition Congress has now demanded Singh's resignation from the Union Cabinet and said that a case be slapped against him under Prevention of Atrocities on Scheduled Caste Act Section 3 and 4.
Singh had also clarified in a tweet, saying that as citizens of India, we are sensitive, but there is a need to be responsible.
"My men and I put our lives on the line for the nation irrespective of caste, creed and religion. I stand by to serve India with the same spirit, right now and always. Our nation, its success and its people motivate me daily. We must stand united and let no one exploit our diversity by blowing up localised issues. Jai hind!" Singh tweeted.
Two children of a Dalit family were burnt alive and their parents suffered injuries after their house was set on fire while they were sleeping allegedly by upper-caste Rajput men over a long-standing caste feud at Sunperh village in Faridabad on Tuesday.
Seven people have been arrested in connection with the case so far and three policemen have also been suspended for dereliction of duty.
