Kanpur (UP), Oct 17: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday said the brutal murder of Dalit villager Hariom Valmiki in Raebareli has “shaken the conscience” of the entire nation, and accused the administration of trying to intimidate the victim’s family.
Gandhi, who met with the family of the deceased in Fatehpur district, also charged that authorities tried to stop the family from meeting him.
In a post on X in Hindi, Gandhi said, “The brutal murder of Hariom Valmiki has shaken the conscience of the entire nation. There was a question in his family’s eyes along with pain: Is being a Dalit still a deadly crime in this country?”
“The administration in Uttar Pradesh is busy intimidating the victim’s family. They even tried to prevent the family from meeting me. This is the same failure of the system – which, every time, shields the perpetrators and puts the victim in the dock,” Gandhi charged.
Maintaining that “justice cannot be put under house arrest”, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha said the BJP government must end the pressure on the victim’s family and ensure the harshest punishment for the culprits.
“I stand firmly with Hariom Valmiki’s family and every exploited, deprived, and vulnerable citizen of the country. This fight is not just for Hariom - it is for every voice that refuses to bow to injustice,” he said on X.
Gandhi spent about 25 minutes with the family during which he spoke with Hariom’s father Gangadeen, brother Shivam, and sister Kusum, and offered condolences.
Later speaking to reporters, Gandhi charged that, “Dalit oppression is at its peak under this government.”
Referring to the alleged suicide by Haryana IPS officer Y Puran Kumar, Gandhi said that “A few days ago, a Dalit officer had committed suicide. I went there, and today, I came here”.
Slamming the authorities, the former Congress president said while a crime has been committed against the family, they have been made out to feel like criminals.
“They have been kept inside the house, and are being intimidated. They are only demanding justice, and are not doing anything. And, they have been stopped from moving out of the house,” Gandhi alleged.
Referring to Valmiki’s family, he said, “Inside (the house) there is a young woman, who has to undergo an operation, but is unable to do so, because the government has kept them inside.”
Gandhi said the chief minister should give the victim’s family justice, respect them, and take quick action against criminals.
On the video in which a family member was purportedly heard saying that they do not want to meet him, Gandhi said, “You have seen that the family held a meeting with me, which lasted for half-an-hour. They said that they were ‘threatened’ in the morning by the people in the government and they were told not to meet Rahul Gandhi.”
However, this is irrelevant, what is relevant is that they are not criminals, and that they have not made any mistake.
“I spoke to them. The Congress party and I will try to do every possible help to them,” Gandhi said.
Hours ahead of the Leader of Opposition’s visit, the victim’s brother Shivam Valmiki allegedly released a video in with the family purportedly stated that Gandhi should not use the visit for political purposes.
“We are satisfied with the government and do not need politics here,” Shivam was seen saying in a video.
The Congress party claimed that the video was an attempt by the BJP to create pressure and manipulate the situation.
Gandhi also cited the latest National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB) figures, which shows that Uttar Pradesh leads the country in cases of Dalit persecution.
Sharing details of the meeting, the Congress in a post on X in Hindi, said, “Leader of the Opposition Shri@RahulGandhi met with the family of Shri Hariom Valmiki in Fatehpur and shared their grief. A few days ago, Hariom, a Dalit, was brutally beaten to death. His family is in immense pain and is waiting for justice”.
“What happened to Hariom Valmiki is a grave offence against the Constitution of this country. Such a shallow ideology is a blot on society. We will continue to fight against this injustice and oppression. This country will be governed by Baba Saheb’s Constitution, not by ‘Manuvaad’,” the party said.
Valmiki (40) was allegedly lynched by villagers who mistook him for a thief during a night vigil at about 1 am on October 2 amid rumours that a gang was using drones for surveillance to mark houses for robberies.
The lynching incident had sparked widespread outrage, with opposition parties, including the Congress and the Samajwadi Party, accusing the BJP government of failing to protect Dalits and curb mob violence.
Following the attack, police registered a case, and have so far arrested 14 people, including the main accused who was held after an encounter on October 10. Five policemen, including two sub-inspectors, were suspended for alleged lapses in handling the case.
The Congress leader landed at Chakeri airport and travelled about 80 km by road to Fatehpur, where he met the family members of the deceased.
Ahead of his visit, the government issued an offer letter to Hariom’s sister, Kusum, for a contractual post as a staff nurse at the Fatehpur Medical College.
Valmiki’s wife Sangeeta Valmiki along with her family members had met Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in Lucknow on October 11.
During the meeting, Adityanath had assured the family of justice and government support, including housing under the CM’s Housing Scheme, a permanent job for Sangeeta Valmiki, and coverage under welfare schemes.
Adityanath had said the accused were arrested within 24 hours and that ensuring the safety and dignity of Dalits and deprived sections remained the government’s top priority. (PTI)
