Need to completely eradicate caste system, adopt ‘zero tolerance’ for prejudice: Meira Kumar on Dalit boy’s death in Rajasthan

Congress leader says can’t blame a regime or political party as Ashok Gehlot government faces heat

Amid the uproar over the death of a Dalit school boy in Rajasthan after being beaten up by a teacher, senior Congress leader Meira Kumar on Sunday stressed on completely eradicating the "illness" of caste system and adopting a "zero tolerance" approach against prejudice.

In an interview with PTI, the former Union Minister also said one should not get into which particular regime or political party is responsible in the wake of incidents of atrocities on the basis of caste as it takes the focus away from the main question that the caste system must be abolished.

The former Lok Sabha Speaker asserted that over the years the caste system has neither been diluted nor has been eradicated.

Also read: India at 75 | Changing contexts of caste

Her remarks come days after Indra Kumar (9) was beaten up by a teacher allegedly for touching a drinking water pot at a school in Rajasthan's Jalore district on July 20.

He died during treatment in Ahmedabad earlier this month. The accused, Chail Singh, has been arrested.

The Congress government in Rajasthan is facing heat over the death of the Dalit school boy.