Image showing a police report. For representational purposes.
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Lucknow: In a shocking incident, two ‘kathavachaks’ (priest-narrators), were allegedly assaulted and their heads shaved, and they were made to rub their noses seeking forgiveness at Dadarpur village in Uttar Pradesh’s Etawah district.
According to sources, villagers were angry after they came to know that the two priest narrators belonged to the ‘Yadav’ community.
Although the incident happened on Saturday, it came to light on Tuesday after a video purportedly showing the two priest-narrators, identified as Mukut Mani Yadav and Sant Singh Yadav, rubbing their noses and seeking forgiveness.
Sources said that the two had reached the village to recite ‘Bhagwat Purana’ (one of the major Puranas in Hinduism and contains topics on cosmology, astronomy, legend, music, yoga and culture), when someone asked about their caste.
The locals thrashed them, when they came to know that the duo hailed from ‘Yadav’ community. ‘’Only the Brahmins can recite Bhagavad Purana,’’ the villagers said. The duo had their heads shaved and they were made to rub their nose to seek forgiveness, sources said.
The duo alleged that their valuables were snatched by the locals and that they were also made to pay a penalty of Rs 25,000.
A case was registered in this regard under different sections of the BNS, the police said, adding that efforts were on to identify the alleged perpetrators. Four persons have been arrested in this connection. ‘’We will take stern action against them,’’ said a senior police official in Etawah on Tuesday.
The Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Congress strongly condemned the incident and demanded strict action against the culprits.
Caste-related discrimination is quite common in the state. Barely a few days back, upper caste people allegedly stopped a Dalit wedding party at a village in Kasganj district in the state after the guests tried to take out a procession through the middle of the village. The marriage ceremony was later conducted under police protection.