On Thursday, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi took up the issue, saying the incident showed “the lives of Dalits have no value” in a BJP government.IT’S BEEN 10 days since Ganesh, 16, a Class 10 student, died during a police chase, and his family began its protest, refusing to claim his body and alleging he was killed. On Thursday, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi took up the issue, saying the incident showed “the lives of Dalits have no value” in a BJP government.Speaking to The Indian Express hours later, the Haryana Minister for Social Justice, Empowerment, SCs and BCs Welfare and Antyodaya, Krishan Bedi, claimed it had convinced the family to call off its protest.In a post on X in Hindi, Gandhi wrote: “The murder of Dalit youth Ganesh Valmiki in Haryana’s Hisar and the brutality inflicted on his family is not just a crime, it is the ugly face of the BJP-RSS’s ‘Manuwadi’ system that today considers the lives of Bahujans in India worthless, deeming them unworthy of equality and respect.”The former Punjab Congress chief minister and Dalit leader Charanjit Singh Channi visited Hisar Thursday to meet the family, a day after the visit by another prominent Dalit face of the party, Kumari Selja.While Bedi had earlier too met the family, and the government announced an SIT to probe “all angles”, till Thursday evening, they continued to sit in protest outside Civil Hospital in Hisar where Ganesh’s body is kept, demanding action against police personnel. On Monday, a mahapanchayat was held at the spot by the Dalit community in support of the family.On Tuesday, in the first such action under The Haryana Honourable Disposal of Dead Body Act, 2024, the government also served the family a notice. As per the Act, in case of a family refusing to claim a body, the authorities can step in to ensure “decent” and “timely” last rites.Bedi told The Indian Express Thursday that they were close to a compromise. “We are in talks with the family’s representatives, and met at the Chief Minister’s residence this evening. Ganesh’s father Vikram and uncle Dinesh, brothers from our entire Dalit community and others were there. The matter stands resolved. We all shall be going to Hisar and perform the boy’s last rites tomorrow morning.”Story continues below this adThe incident dates back to July 7 night, when police arrived at a locality in Hisar over a complaint that loud music was being played in public long after the 10 pm deadline. According to police, Ganesh and his friends, who were celebrating the birthday of one among them, were playing the music, and when they tried to stop the youths, they were attacked.Police claim Ganesh and a friend, Akash, then rushed to the terrace of a house in a bid to escape and jumped off it. While Ganesh died, police said, Akash was injured. Police are looking for around 10-15 youths more, who they alleged participated in the attack on its personnel.The allegation of Ganesh’s family is that police pushed him off the terrace, and are demanding registration of a criminal case against the police personnel involved. The district police have released CCTV videos in a bid to prove their case. Akash, who is hospitalised, has given a statement to police admitting they attacked its personnel, after which additional force reached the spot. When police personnel started chasing them, the Dalit youth said, he and Ganesh tried to flee by jumping off the terrace, and that Ganesh died while he got injured.One of the CCTV videos released by police shows Ganesh on his house’s terrace at about 9 pm. At 10.45 pm, he can be seen lying on a cot in the middle of the street outside his house, with his friends standing around. At 10.55 pm, two bike-borne youths arrive with a huge loudspeaker, and the youths proceed to play music on it.Story continues below this adAt 11.32 pm, by which time the youths are dancing on the street, police reach. The CCTV video then shows the youths attacking police with lathis and pelting stones, with police taking shelter in a house.ADGP K K Rao said: “Police are ready for a polygraph test. They were only trying to defend themselves… The area’s residents had complained of disturbance due to the loud music.”Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram© The Indian Express Pvt LtdTags:Congressdalit