Dalit youth lynched in Raebareli; Rahul Gandhi corners Yogi government on 'anti-dalit mindset', meets victim's family

Lucknow: The alleged lynching of a Dalit youth in Uttar Pradesh’s Raebareli district — the parliamentary constituency of former Congress president and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi — is set to snowball into a major political issue, with the Congress planning to portray it as the result of the ruling BJP’s “anti-Dalit mindset” and launch a statewide agitation to corner the Yogi Adityanath government.

Hariom, a Dalit youth from Fatehpur in the district, was allegedly beaten to death with lathis and sticks by a mob that mistook him for a thief in Ishwardaspur village late on Wednesday night.

A video that went viral on social media on Sunday purportedly showed the victim repeatedly taking Rahul Gandhi’s name, even as the mob was heard saying they were “Babawale” — supporters of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

“Hamlog Babawale hain... Bhagat Singh, Chandrashekhar Azad ka bhi naam lo” (“We are supporters of Adityanath... also take the names of Bhagat Singh and Azad”), the mob was heard saying to the profusely bleeding victim when he took Rahul’s name.

Rahul Gandhi spoke to the victim’s family on Sunday and assured them of all possible help. Uttar Pradesh Congress president Ajay Rai is expected to meet the family on Monday.

Following the incident, four police personnel, including an assistant sub-inspector, were suspended, while the station house officer was transferred. Five people have been arrested so far, and police said raids are underway to nab the remaining accused.

According to reports, Hariom was on his way to his in-laws’ house at Nai Basti when some people stopped him near Ishwardaspur village. Mistaking him for a thief, they tied him to a pillar and brutally assaulted him with belts, lathis, and sticks. He later succumbed to his injuries. Several videos of the assault have gone viral on social media.

Sources said Congress national general secretary Avinash Pandey will hold a meeting with senior party leaders on Monday to chalk out a strategy to make the incident a major political issue and “expose” the saffron party.

The Congress, which has been making a concerted push to woo Dalit voters, had held several outreach programmes across the state in recent months. “We will certainly expose the anti-Dalit BJP government in the state,” a senior Congress leader said.