Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Thursday said that some people were trying to politicise the death of two Dalit children whose home was set on fire in Sunped village, Faridabad, earlier this week. Khattar said Dalit killings should not be given a “political or casteist colour”, and claimed that investigations show that the matter was not a caste-related dispute, but a family feud.

During his meeting with the family, Khattar assured them that the government would assist with the treatment of the children’s mother, who is still in critical condition. He also added that Haryana is a peaceful state, and that such incidents do not take place often, the Press Trust of India reported. The chief minister gave them a cheque of Rs 10 lakh as compensation from the government.

On Tuesday, a two-and-a-half year old boy and an 11-month-old girl from a Dalit family were charred to death after their house was set on fire, allegedly by members of an upper-caste community. The Central Bureau of Investigation on Wednesday agreed to investigate the murders after the villagers blocked the nearby national highway near in protest. Eleven people have been arrested, while eight policemen have been suspended. Police suspected caste-based tension behind the crime, saying that the village has a history of violence between Dalits and upper-caste villagers.