Dharwad: Union minister for parliamentary affairs Pralhad Joshi expressed strong outrage over the suicide of a minor Dalit girl in Garag village of Dharwad district and described the incident as a serious case involving an alleged ‘love jihad’ angle.The minister visited the residence of the deceased girl on Sunday, and offered condolences to her family members.Speaking to reporters, Joshi said the incident was not merely a case of suicide but was linked to mental harassment by a youth from another religion. He claimed that the minor girl had fallen victim to a larger network and termed the matter extremely serious.Criticising the state govt and the police, Joshi alleged that despite nearly a month of having passed since the incident occurred on May 8, no concrete action had been taken. He accused the Congress-led state govt and local police of attempting to suppress the case instead of ensuring justice.Demand for impartial investigationUnion minister said there were suspicions of a larger network operating behind the incident and called for a comprehensive and impartial investigation. He urged authorities to ensure justice for the victim’s dalit family and to take legal action against those found responsible.Joshi warned that if a fair probe was not conducted and appropriate action was not taken, a strong public agitation would be launched.Dharwad SP Gunjan Arya, Rajya Sabha member M Nagaraj, Savita Amarshetti and former MLA Amrut Desai among others were present.
