Angel Chakma Murder Sparks Political Storm, Opposition Targets Centre Over Silence

Dehradun: The murder of Tripura student Angel Chakma in Uttarakhand capital Dehradun has snowballed into a major political controversy, with opposition leaders accusing the Centre and the Bharatiya Janata Party of remaining silent on what they have termed a hate crime.

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal strongly condemned the killing and questioned the government’s response to the incident.

Rahul Gandhi on Monday described the murder of Angel Chakma as a horrific hate crime and alleged that hatred has been normalised under the BJP’s rule. In a post on X, Gandhi said the attack on Angel and his brother Michael in Dehradun reflected years of systematic encouragement of hatred, particularly among the youth, through toxic content and irresponsible narratives. He said India was built on respect and unity, not fear and abuse, and warned against becoming a society that remains silent when fellow citizens are targeted. Gandhi expressed solidarity with the Chakma family and people of Tripura and the North East, saying the country should be proud to call them fellow Indians.

Samajwadi Party national president and former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav also reacted sharply to the incident. He said the murder of the Tripura student in Dehradun was a consequence of the extremely hateful mindset of divisive elements. Yadav said disruptive thinking was claiming lives every day and that such elements were thriving under what he described as government patronage. He warned that these negative forces posed a serious threat to the country and its unity and integrity.

Akhilesh Yadav said that in the current violent atmosphere, it was essential for peace loving and harmony driven people to unite, identify such anti social elements in society and socially boycott them. He cautioned that failure to do so could result in anyone becoming a victim of such violence in the future. He also urged the Supreme Court to take suo motu cognisance of the case to ensure justice.

Kapil Sibal also targeted the Centre, appealing directly to Union Home Minister Amit Shah to speak out against hate crimes. In his post on X, Sibal described Angel Chakma’s killing as a shocking example of hate crime and extremism, and criticised the silence of leaders in power. He urged the Home Minister to raise his voice against such crimes.

According to police, the incident took place on December 9 at Selakui market in Dehradun. Angel Chakma, a resident of Unakoti district in Tripura, and his brother Michael were involved in an altercation with a group of people. The accused allegedly attacked them with a knife and brass knuckles. Twenty four year old Angel sustained serious injuries and later died during treatment at a hospital on December 26.

Angel’s father Tarun Chakma, who is posted with the Border Security Force, alleged that the attackers used racial slurs and referred to his son as “Chinese momo”. He claimed that when Angel protested and said he was an Indian, the attackers assaulted him. The police, however, have denied the racial angle so far. Dehradun Senior Superintendent of Police Ajay Singh said one of the accused is from Manipur, arguing that this weakens claims of a racially motivated attack.

Police have arrested five accused, including two juveniles, in connection with the case. The main accused, Yagyraj Awasthi, a resident of Nepal, is absconding. A reward of Rs 25,000 has been announced for information leading to his arrest.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said such incidents are unacceptable and assured strict action against the guilty. Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha said he had spoken to Dhami, who assured him that all those responsible would be punished.

On Monday, Chief Minister Dhami also spoke to Angel Chakma’s father over the phone and expressed grief over the killing. He said five accused had been arrested and efforts were underway to nab the remaining suspect, who is suspected to have fled to Nepal. Dhami said he was personally saddened by the incident and understood the family’s pain. He added that Uttarakhand has traditionally been a safe place for students from across the country and abroad, making the incident distressing for everyone.