'Was He Not A Human? Was He An Animal?'

'One murder gets national coverage because of political connections.'
'The other two and the brutal torture? Not much outrage.'
'Are Dalit and OBC lives worth less?'

As Chhagan Bhujbal took the floor in the Maharashtra assembly on Wednesday, March 5, 2025, his voice carried the weight of frustration and anguish.

"One murder gets national coverage because of political connections. The other two and the brutal torture? Not much outrage. Are Dalit and OBC lives worth less?" he asked, speaking to Rediff.com after his speech in the assembly. His words echoed through the House, forcing members to confront an uncomfortable truth.

Soon afterwards, senior Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar) leader Jayant Patil, who sits across the aisle, was seen discussing the issues with Bhujbal. "Yes, these are serious and shocking issues and should be confronted upfront. Maharashta cannot and will not tolerate such barbarism," said Patil who also later raised these issue.

"Forget about the role of cops, forget about the role of politicians. These people come only after a crime has been committed. But from where have we learned to be so barbaric? Many such gruesome crimes have been reported from three districts of Marathwada," Bhujbal pointed out to this correspondent.

He urged the Speaker to take immediate action and form a collective of religious leaders, senior journalists, politicians, and corporate figures to develop initiatives aimed at eliminating such brutality at its root.

A Cry for Justice

"I wanted to bring it to the attention of the august House that there is an urgent need to find out the root cause of why some people in Maharashtra are engaging in such spine-chilling, horrifying tortures and mutilation of bodies and have the depravity to film and record such acts, and make them viral," Bhujbal told Rediff.com.

"This is not a political problem or even a law and order problem. This is a social problem. Somehow, some people have started believing that such inhuman treatment is just and normal, and there will only be selective outrage when such cases come to light."

Bhujbal cited the case of Somnath Suryawanshi, a Dalit man from the Vadar community, who died in police custody in Parbhani. "Even some cops are participating in custodial torture," he said.

"BJP MLA from Beed Suresh Dhas pleaded that on humanitarian grounds, no case should be filed against the police officers under whose custody Suryawanshi died. It is utterly shameful that a person who has so stridently campaigned against meting out strict punishment to Walmik Karad and Dhananjay Munde should ask for forgiveness for the killers of Suryawanshi just because he belonged to the Vadar community and just because this time, the killers were cops," Bhujbal noted.

"Doesn't the Constitution of India give Suryawanshi the same rights as it gives to Deshmukh? Was Suryawanshi not a human? Was he an animal?"

'Where Does This Cruelty Come From?'

Bhujbal drew a chilling historical comparison. "The way Aurangzeb tortured Chhatrapati Sambhaji using hot iron rods, Kailash Govinda Borade, a Dhangar, was tortured by inserting hot iron rods into his private parts and scalding his skin with the same rods."

"Where does this cruelty come from? Why is it happening in Maharashtra? Why are people becoming so inhuman and insane?" he lamented.

Government Response: A Step Forward?

Bhujbal revealed that, before his speech, he had sent newspaper clippings and video recordings of these brutalities to Chief Minister Devnedra Fadnavis and Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narvekar.

"Devendra (Fadnavis) sent a message to me later that the SP of Jalna has given strict orders to thoroughly investigate this case, and the main accused has been arrested."

Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, who had stepped out of the House, returned immediately on hearing Bhujbal's impassioned address and responded, "I called the SP of Jalna and asked him to charge the perpetrators of this brutal attack under MCOCA."

"The chief minister, who was not present in the House. I am sure he will also make a strong statement about these brutal crimes," Bhujbal said. His call for justice remained firm, urging the government to ensure that no life -- regardless of caste or class -- was treated as dispensable.

A Question That Remains Unanswered

As Bhujbal's words settled over the assembly, the question loomed large -- will Maharashtra finally listen? Will justice truly be equal for all? Or will selective outrage continue to define which lives matter and which are forgotten?