'Horrific hate crime': Rahul Gandhi on Tripura student murder; slams BJP for 'normalising' hate
Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Monday described the alleged racial attack and brutal killing of an MBA student in Uttarakhand's Dehradun as a horrific hate crime and blamed the BJP for ormalising hate. Angel Chakma, a 24-year-old MBA student from Nandannagar in the West Tripura district was attacked by a group of six people when he objected to an alleged racial slur on December 9 in Dehradun. What happened to Anjel Chakma and his brother Michael in Dehradun is a horrific hate crime. Hate doesn't appear overnight. For years now, it is being fed daily -- especially to our youth -- through toxic content and irresponsible narratives. And it's being normalised by the hate-spewing leadership of the ruling BJP, Rahul Gandhi said in a post on X. What happened to Anjel Chakma and his brother Michael in Dehradun is a horrific hate crime. Hate doesnt appear overnight. For years now it is being fed daily - especially to our youth - through toxic content and irresponsible narratives. And its being normalised by the pic.twitter.com/eDN7XiIGZ2 Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) December 29, 2025 The Congress leader said India is built on respect and unity, not fear and abuse. We are a country of love and diversity. We must not become a dead society that looks away while fellow Indians are targeted. We must reflect and confront what we are allowing our country to become, he said. My thoughts are with the Chakma family and the people of Tripura and Northeast. We are proud to call you our fellow Indian brothers and sisters, Gandhi added. The incident took place on December 9, when a group of unidentified youths racially abused Anjel and his brother. Anjel reportedly said, We are not Chinese; we are Indians, which provoked the group. The youth attacked the brothers and Anjel was hospitalised for weeks after suffering severe injuries on his neck and abdomen. He succumbed to the injuries on December 26. According to police, five out of the six accused youth has been arrested, while the mastermind is absconding. The Uttarakhand police has declared a Rs 25,000 cash reward on information that will facilitate the arrest of the main accused. Tipra Motha supremo Pradyot Kishore Manikya Debbarma on Monday announced a Rs 10 lakh cash reward on information that will lead to the arrest of the main accused. Meanwhile, Thousands of students under the banner of Tipra Indigenous Students' Federation on Sunday organised a candle march here seeking justice for Angel Chakma. The students covered a distance of around one kilometre from the North Gate of Ujjayanta Palace. Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha on Sunday said his Uttarakhand counterpart Pushkar Singh Dhami has assured him that all persons responsible for the murder will be arrested.
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