Horrifying hallmark of our times: Congress condemns lynching of Dalit man in Raebareli

'Since 2014, mob lynching, bulldozer injustice and mob rule have become horrifying markers of our times, but violence can never be a hallmark of a civilised society'

New Delhi: Strongly condemning the "brutal and heinous" lynching of a Dalit in Raebareli, top Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi have said "mob lynching, bulldozer injustice and mob rule" have become "horrifying markers" since 2014 but violence can "never be a hallmark of a civilised society".

Congress president Kharge and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Gandhi said in a joint statement that what happened to Hariom, a 40-year-old Dalit who was lynched by villagers mistaking him for a thief, raises "deep questions about our collective morality".

"The Congress party is committed to the empowerment of the deprived and weaker sections of society. We call upon all citizens to unite against this injustice. This struggle must continue until every Indian’s rights and dignity of life are fully protected," they said.

Insisting that the Constitution recognises every individual with equality and the country has a law that guarantees equal protection, rights, and freedom of expression to all citizens, the leaders said what happened in Raebareli was a "grave crime against the Constitution of this country, a crime against the Dalit community, and a stain on our society and nation".

Both the leaders emphasised that crimes against Dalits, minorities and the poor have "increased alarmingly" across the country and violence most often targets those who are deprived — the Bahujan, the marginalised — who have "neither adequate participation nor representation".

Recalling crimes against women in Hathras and Unnao, the "institutional killing" of Rohith Vemula, the "inhuman act" of a leader urinating on a tribal youth in Madhya Pradesh, the "brutal beatings" of Dalits in Odisha and Madhya Pradesh and the killings of Pehlu Khan in Haryana and Akhlaq in Uttar Pradesh, they said each incident mirrors the "growing insensitivity of our society, administration, and those in power".

"Since 2014, tendencies like mob lynching, bulldozer injustice, and mob rule have become horrifying markers of our times. Violence can never be a hallmark of a civilised society. What happened to Hariom raises deep questions about our collective morality," they said.

The India of B R Ambedkar’s dreams and Mahatma Gandhi’s 'Vaishnav Jan…' ideal is an India of social justice, equality, and compassion — an India where such crimes have no place. Humanity is the only path forward, they said.

Sharing the statement on X, Rahul said, "Today in India, Dalits, Adivasis, Muslims, backward classes, and the poor — every person whose voice is weak, whose share is being snatched away, and whose life is considered cheap — is being targeted."

"In the country, hatred, violence, and mob rule have received the patronage of those in power — where bulldozers have taken the place of the Constitution, and fear has replaced justice. I stand with Hariom's family — they will surely get justice. India's future rests on equality and humanity, and this country will run on the Constitution, not on the whims of the mob," he added.